There are fears that some parents — mostly mothers — will be forced to leave their jobs as working from home ends and the cost of childcare rises.
Sarah Hesz, from babysitting firm Bubble, said many parents were able to be more flexible about dropping off and picking up their children while working from home, but they fear this flexibility will end as they return to the office.
On top of this, the price of childcare is going up and any savings they made on childcare during the lockdown are returning this year, she said.
It comes after a report by the Resolution Foundation predicted the cost of living is set to rise by £1,200 — but this does not take into account the costs of childcare.
A survey of 1,200 parents by Bubble found that 87 per cent of parents expect to pay more for childcare this year.
Ms Hesz said: “Childcare is responsible for one-third of a family’s outgoings and not only is the price going up, it’s also getting increasingly scarce.
“Childcare is vital infrastructure for our society and our economy — parents simply can’t work without it. For most parents, the pandemic enabled them to take on more childcare responsibilities, but as employers encourage more workers to return to the office, parents are finding it very difficult to swallow the increase in costs.
“Without emergency funding from the Government, it’s really important that employers recognise the challenge that working parents are facing.
“And when I say parents, unfortunately it’s no secret that women are most vulnerable.”
She called for employers to provide subsidised childcare, flexible working and better parental leave to “level the playing field” for working parents.
