“Nurseries are underfunded by the government,” said Lauren Fabianski, communications and campaigns manager at Pregnant Then Screwed, a charity that supports pregnant people and new parents. “For every government-funded place, nurseries have a funding shortfall which they need to fill through nursery fees.”
Claire Kenyon, the owner of The Children’s Garden, which runs two Montessori nurseries in Lincolnshire and Norwich, told openDemocracy that childcare providers are struggling to stay afloat for several reasons. They have to pay business rates, can’t claim back VAT on purchases and are facing soaring costs for electricity, food and rent.
“We are an incredibly giving community of people who are on our knees,” Kenyon said. “The early childhood education sector is grossly underfunded.”
Fabianski agreed, saying: “We are now in a recession, with cost-of-living hikes including electricity bills going through the roof, and yet zero additional support to nurseries from the government – they don't really stand a chance.
“So they need to pass those increases on to parents. The blame lies firmly at the door of Number 10.”
All of this leaves parents like Ellis worrying about how they will find the extra cash to pay fees.
“We are already frugal,” Ellis told openDemocracy. “We haven’t had a holiday in years. We don’t get takeaways. We go to Aldi. We don’t waste any food. We buy everything second-hand. What else can we cut out?”
When her youngest turns three, Ellis knows she will qualify for subsidised childcare, but resents that she is counting down the days until their finances aren’t as tight.
“I don’t want to wish her life away,” she said. “She is my last baby and I really want to enjoy her, but this pressure is insane.”
‘Trimming back everywhere we can’
In a recent poll of 3,407 parents by Pregnant Then Screwed, 83% of respondents reported that their nursery fees have increased in the past two months or will increase in the next two. More than a third said their fees have risen by at least 10%.
One such parent is Becky Donnelly. When Donnelly was told her son’s daily nursery fees would jump from £62.50 to £69.50 – an increase of 11% – in the new year, her stomach dropped.
“My son has settled in and he enjoys his nursery,” she said. “We can’t just say that we can’t afford the rise and try a different nursery. They are all under the same pressure.”
Later, the nursery sent a follow-up email, saying the January rise is an interim measure, with another increase coming in July.