Rising childcare costs force grandparents to childmind for free and prevents many mums from returning to the workplace
Is the cost of childcare putting you off returning to the office?
Grandparents’ roles as childminders have been found to be vital in allowing mums to return to the workplace. In a survey of 2,000 parents, 40% blamed the cost of childcare for preventing their return to work. Just under half of parents use grandparents for childcare and 44% of those do it for free.
“This survey confirms that working mums are increasingly relying on grandparents for childcare,” said Sam Smethers, from Grandparents Plus.
Although 77% of the parents surveyed felt their employer was supportive when they returned to work, half said that there were either no available or no appropriate flexible jobs for them to return to the workplace.
“This year’s survey shows just how important grandparents are in helping parents get back into the workplace,” said Gillian Nissim, who founded www.workingmums.co.uk, which ran the survey.
If you’re considering returning to work as a mum, check out our guide to childcare and see which option is right for your family.
