I don't blame parents for booking a term-time holiday, writes Tom Swarbrick

Was it August? Was it July? Who knew? All you knew was that you were going to have fun.

But it’s a lot less fun for mum or dad, who still have to work throughout—unless they’re teachers, like my parents were. Both of them had the holidays off too. Most people aren’t so lucky. They’re left trying to manage work and childcare, and the cost has skyrocketed - up 4% year on year. God knows what it’s been over the last decade.

Families now face a bill of £1,076 per child for childcare over the six-week summer break. That’s what UK families are paying for holiday care clubs- £677 more than they’d pay for six weeks of after-school clubs during term time.

Hang on a minute - what?

Wales has the highest weekly price at £210, followed by England at £178 and Scotland at £168. There’s a big variation across England too: £162 a week in the North West, £196 a week in the South East.

The average cost of a childminder over the holidays is £234 a week. Who has the money for that? Although to be fair, for full-time care, five days a week, that sounds cheap. But in Inner London, it’s £306 a week - the highest in England.

Only 9% of local authorities say they’ve got enough holiday childcare for at least three-quarters of children with SEND. And in three regions—East Midlands, East of England, and Inner London—that figure drops to zero.

So if you’re already facing difficult circumstances, there’s nothing - no help from local authorities at all to support you with childcare over the summer.

This is why people don’t work.

We’ve got a massive issue with productivity in this country. We’re struggling to get the economy growing. I’d wager that a lot of people who can work from home cut back to four days a week. Freelancers will push clients back to the start of the school term just so they can provide the ‘free’ childcare themselves.

If one parent can keep working, great. But if not, you’re stuck. And all of this adds to that broader sense that, with a declining birth rate and fewer young people, there is no financial incentive to grow your family. It’s the opposite.

So what are we supposed to do? How’s this meant to work?

Should the government step in with a subsidy? A tax rebate? Something to help with the cost? Or do you take the view that—you had the kids, so you look after them?

But let’s also address the elephant in the room. Or rather, the baby elephant. That after-school clubs cost more during the holidays than they do in term time, just like holidays themselves - which also cost more during the school break.

That pushes families to take their kids out of school during term time. I said this on This Morning the other day and shared it on Instagram - it went a bit mad - because the idea that every single school day is critical just isn’t true. Children know it, parents know it, and teachers know it.

So even with the penalties, people do it. They take their kids out of school to save money. And you know what? If it’s no longer than a week—and even then it’s pushing it—I’d do it too.

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Listen to Tom Swarbrick at Drive Monday-Friday from 4-6pm on the new LBC app.

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