The Cost Of Summer Holiday Childcare In 2026

School’s out for summer in Scotland and Northern Ireland, with kids in England and Wales soon to follow suit.

Alas, this means many working parents have six long weeks to fill with fun activities, day trips, perhaps the odd break away (if you’re lucky) and, most likely, a few expensive summer camps to bulk out the rest.

But how much is summer holiday childcare totting up at these days? A pretty wince-inducing sum, by the looks of it.

Children’s charity Coram’s 21st annual Holiday Childcare Survey revealed holiday childcare costs have risen by 5% over the past year in Britain.

This means many working parents now face a bill of up to £1,145 per child for six weeks of holiday childcare. That’s £191 per week.

To put that into perspective, compared to how much people are earning, Forbes reported the median monthly pay for UK workers in May this year was £2,626.

In comparison, when the Holiday Childcare Survey first began in 2005, the average cost was £76 per week – or £456 per child for the six-week break. So, the cost has more than doubled in just over 20 years.

Wales has seen the biggest rise, with summer holiday childcare costs increasing by 10% over the past year.

The price of childcare can also vary between regions, with a 16% increase in costs in London and a 12% increase in the North East.

For disabled children, this figure can soar even more.

One parent of twin boys revealed how holiday childcare would cost £50 a day for their son Otis, and more than triple that (£178 per day) for their son Frankie, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair full-time.

UK school children take about 65 working days off each year, while most full-time workers get about 28 days annual leave.

If parents don’t have the luxury of local grandparents or family members to fall back on, this means they need to rely on paid childcare during the holidays.

Some working families may be eligible for Tax-Free Childcare, which can help pay for summer holiday childcare. For every £8 you pay into your Tax-Free Childcare account, the government automatically adds an extra £2 towards approved childcare costs. You could receive up to £2,000 per child each year, or £4,000 per disabled child.

Every local authority in England also delivers the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme, which provides free holiday club places, meals and activities to children from low-income families. However, provision varies considerably.

According to UK government guidance, local authorities should endeavour to offer all eligible children the equivalent of at least four hours a day, four days a week, in free holiday childcare.

But Coram’s survey found most councils do not know whether they have enough holiday childcare available.

Again, children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) were impacted most – Coram’s report found the lowest sufficiency level in England is for children with SEND, with only 9% of councils in England able to say they have enough holiday childcare for at least three-quarters of young people with SEND in their area.

In Wales, just 5% of local authorities report sufficient holiday childcare for children with additional learning needs (ALN).

This echoes research from the national disability charity Sense, which found more than 60,000 disabled children are living in areas of England with no summer holiday club options available to them.

Freedom of Information (FOI) requests submitted to every local authority in England found that, among the 114 local authorities that responded, 6% of disabled children across the country can access holiday clubs.

Coram wants to see reinforcement of the statutory duty to secure sufficient holiday childcare across Britain, as well as improved access for children with SEND.

Coram’s report found childminders offer parents the best chance of securing a full day of childcare during the holidays, with 79% of childminders open from 8am until6pm, compared to only 57% of holiday clubs.

But the report highlighted the cost of holiday clubs, at £191 per week, was still cheaper than the cost of childminders, which averaged £251 per week.

Lydia Hodges, Head of Coram Family and Childcare, said: “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.”

Acknowledging the government’s commitment to keep children away from social media, she added: “If we want children away from social media, off their phones, they need something positive to do.

“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.

“If we are to ease the annual summer stress for families, there must be an acknowledgement that childcare is a year-round requirement,” she added.

In response to the report’s findings, a Department for Education spokesperson told HuffPost UK: “The school holidays can be a tricky time for many parents – a balancing act between work, family life and finding childcare that is affordable and accessible.

“To help families cut costs this summer we are investing over £600 million in our Holiday Activities and Food programme so children from disadvantaged backgrounds can enjoy healthy meals and take part in activities including everything from archery to coding and sports to creative arts.

“This comes alongside discounted attractions and meals out so families can enjoy days out and almost £13 million this year to help local councils offer more childcare places, including during the holidays.”

They added the forthcoming Childcare Review “will go even further to create a system that is easier and fairer for every family, all year round”.