Childcare costs in England have risen by 5% since the start of the pandemic, with spaces for the government's free childcare scheme also disappearing at an alarming rate.
The rise, which is well above inflation, comes despite 700,000 people losing their jobs and millions of workers forced to accept furlough or a salary cut in the past year.
It's linked to an ongoing under-funding row, which nurseries claim is forcing them out of business. On average, families are now paying £138 a week - or £7,000 a year - for nursery care for a child under two.
That's part-time, with full time care double the figure. The findings, which come as part of the annual Coram Family and Childcare Survey, said the government is failing both working families and