Parents in Scotland are facing a “postcode lottery” on childcare costs, a new report from a leading charity has revealed.
Families in the most expensive local authority regions are estimated to be paying more than £3,000 extra every year compared to those in neighbouring council areas.
The Family and Childcare Trust has also warned that a combination of above-inflation price rises, along with patchy provision, is putting undue pressure on parents.
The charity’s third annual survey reveals costs are continuing to increase, with nursery care for children aged under two up by 4.8% from last year.
The findings also reveal the cost of part-time care for two children is now 22% greater than the average household mortgage bill.
A breakdown of the statistics finds that there is a £931 difference a year between the cost of weekly childcare for a toddler aged under two in Aberdeenshire and neighbouring local authority areas.
In the Highland Council area, there is a difference of £881 a year.
The report does not provide details of every council area, to preserve “anonymity” for local authorities such as Aberdeen City, Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles, who have few neighbours.
The findings also reveal that fewer than a quarter of local authorities have enough childcare provision for working parents, compared to 54% in England.
Anand Shukla, chief executive of the Family and Childcare Trust, said: “Many families in Scotland desperately struggle to find childcare and, if they do, they pay a sum similar to or more than a second mortgage for it.”
Julian Foster, managing director at Computershare Voucher Services, which sponsors the survey, said: “Scottish parents face a postcode lottery, with some quite staggering price differences between neighbouring local authorities, and there is clearly not enough childcare to meet Scotland’s needs. Bold reform is needed to address Scotland’s many childcare challenges.”
The trust has recommended that the Scottish Government strengthens legislation for councils to tackle gaps in provision and launches an inquiry into the price variations between local authorities.