General · 25 May 2026
Three-quarters of parents pay extra nursery fees
Families in England are paying additional costs for nursery care, with some spending thousands annually on items like food and nappies. Campaigners argue that these fees are a direct response to the government's inadequate financial provision for complimentary childcare, prompting the education secretary to request an inquiry by a competition watchdog. A survey from last year revealed nearly three-quarters of parents with formal childcare encountered these extra payments.
Reported by Guardian · How we write briefs