Summer holiday childcare now costs families up to £1,145 per child, new report finds

Holiday childcare costs have risen again, with many councils unable to say whether enough places are available.

Tired middle-aged mom with two children and with smartphone and tablet, with receipts and bills on sofa in living room.

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Published: July 16, 2026 at 7:30 AM

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The cost of keeping children looked after during the long summer break has risen again, according to new research, leaving many working parents facing a childcare bill of more than £1,100 per child across the six-week holidays.

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The latest Holiday Childcare Survey from Coram Family and Childcare also suggests that, alongside rising costs, many local councils do not know whether they have enough holiday childcare places to meet demand, particularly for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

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Summer holiday childcare costs continue to rise

Families across Great Britain now pay an average of £191 a week for a holiday club place, according to Coram Family and Childcare's 21st annual Holiday Childcare Survey.

That means parents needing childcare for the full six-week summer holiday could face an average bill of £1,145 per child.

The charity says holiday childcare now costs almost three times as much as after-school childcare during term time, with families paying an average of £726 more over six weeks than they would during the school term.

Costs have increased by 5% over the past year across Great Britain.

Where are costs highest?

Wales has the highest average holiday childcare costs and has also seen the biggest annual rise.

Parents there now pay an average of £224 a week, meaning six weeks of childcare costs around £1,342 per child. Prices have increased by 10% compared with last year.

In England, average costs have risen by 4%, although some areas have seen much steeper increases. Holiday club prices are up by:

Many councils don't know if there are enough childcare places

As well as rising costs, the report highlights concerns about the availability of holiday childcare.

Across Great Britain, more than half of council responses in England stated that data was either not held or they could not say whether there were enough holiday childcare places in their area. In Scotland, the gaps in information were so significant that Coram says meaningful national analysis was not possible.

Where councils did have information, children with SEND were found to have the poorest access.

Only 9% of councils in England said they had enough holiday childcare for at least three-quarters of children and young people with SEND in their area. In Wales, just 5% of local authorities reported sufficient provision for children with additional learning needs (ALN).

Why holiday childcare matters for working families

Lydia Hodges, Head of Coram Family and Childcare, said holiday childcare needs to be treated as an essential part of the childcare system.

"Holiday childcare is now the missing piece of the puzzle. All nations have some level of free childcare for pre-school children but the need for childcare doesn't stop when children reach school age, or when the school gates close for the summer. In fact, it only increases. Holiday childcare is essential for parents to take and stay in work but, for too many families, the six-week break brings a sharp increase in childcare costs," she says.

For too many families, the six-week break brings a sharp increase in childcare costs.

Lydia Hodges, Head of Coram Family and Childcare

She also warned that many parents are being left to search for childcare without clear local information.

"The problem is not going to go away. Most parents need to work during the school holidays at some point, and not all will have support from other family members," she says. "If we are to ease the annual summer stress for families, there must be an acknowledgement that childcare is a year-round requirement, and action taken to ensure holiday childcare does not remain the poor cousin of early years childcare.”

Childminders may offer more flexibility

The survey found that childminders are often able to offer longer opening hours than holiday clubs.

79% of childminders are open from 8am to 6pm during the holidays, while 57% of holiday clubs offer those same opening hours.

Childminders are also more likely than holiday clubs to stay open throughout each school holiday

What is Coram calling for?

Coram Family and Childcare is urging governments across Great Britain to strengthen support for families by:

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The Holiday Childcare Survey 2026 is based on responses from 199 local authorities across England, Scotland and Wales collected between April and June 2026. The report is published by Coram Family and Childcare on 16 July 2026.

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