How to manage the financial stress of the school summer holidays

This article was written by our partners at Vita Health

If you’re a parent or carer, you may be starting to worry about how you’ll navigate work and childcare during the summer holidays.

It’s a juggle many of us face every year and one that is often exacerbated for families whose work situations may not allow for flexibility, and who are unable to afford additional childcare costs.

The squeeze on time and money poses an almost impossible challenge for lots of parents and carers. It’s little surprise that stress and burnout rises for many at this time of the year.

Did you know…

The average weekly cost for a holiday club is £157 per child, which is 2.3 times higher than what parents pay for an after-school club during term time*.

This means that families face costs of £934 for six weeks of holiday childcare for each school age child - £538 more than they would pay for six weeks of after–school childcare during term time*.

Parents in inner London can pay up to 25% more for places than those in the East of England*.

Not only can childcare be extra pricey, but its availability can also be limited. For parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), it can be particularly hard to find care - 9 in 10 families are unable to source a suitable holiday club or activity for their disabled child**.