Pregnant Then Screwed research shows a quarter of parents could leave the workforce if early years costs rise by 10%
by Jess Gibson
A 10% rise in early years costs could lead to parents needing to leave the workforce, according to Pregnant Then Screwed survey results.
The charity surveyed 3,847 parents who currently have a child in a UK early years setting between 8 November and 11 November 2024, following the government鈥檚 announcement that both employer National Insurance contributions and the national minimum wage will be increased.
According to survey results from the Alliance, 95% of early years providers are set to increase their fees in response to these increases.
The new Pregnant Then Screwed research finds nine in 10 parents feel stressed about potential cost increases, while 92% believe that early years providers should be exempt from the national insurance increases, just as schools are.鈥
These survey results show that even small increases in early education and childcare costs could impact affordability for families. A quarter of parents who responded to the survey stated that a 10% increase would cause them to leave the workforce, while 59% said that a rise in early years fees would lead to at least one parent in their household reducing the number of hours they work or leaving work altogether.
Joeli Brearley, founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, said: 鈥淟abour repeatedly promised to prioritise the early years. They paid lip services to the critical function it plays in supporting a robust economy and improving the outcomes for children.
鈥淲e are seeing no evidence whatsoever that childcare and early years education is being prioritised now that Labour is in government. Working parents of young children cannot sustain any more cost increases; if the government does not exempt providers from National Insurance increases, the impact could be catastrophic.鈥