32,000 more women have chosen to stay home: Report
Parents in the United Kingdom are questioning whether they can both afford to work due to the high cost of child care, according to research from insurance company Aviva. A mother working part-time could be up to £98 (C$155) per month worse off after all child and work costs are taken into account while a mother working full-time might see gains of only £198 (C$312) at the end of the month.
As a result, thousands of families could have to rely on a single salary as 32,000 more women have chosen to stay at home to look after their families since the third quarter of 2010, found Aviva’s Family Finances Report.
Typical full-time care in the U.K. costs £385 (C$607) per month per child, though it’s more for children under age two (£729 or C$1,149) and less for older children (£156 or C$246).
The average working family member also spends £120 (C$189) per month (full-time) and £90 (C$142) per month (part-time) on expenses associated with employment such as transport, food and clothing, said Aviva.
While 54 per cent of families surveyed said they don’t use child care and 31 per cent have their family or friends help out, they are still spending an average of £111 (C$175) per month on child-related expenses such as sports activities, food at school, clothing and transport — costs that have seen inflation of 6.89 per cent over the last year, said the report, which was based on data collected from more than 6,000 people.
