In a YouGov survey of 2,055 adults earlier this month, 28 per cent offamilies with children under 18 and earning less than 15,000 ayear said they had been unable to find a job or had been forced to leaveone because they could not afford to pay for childcare.
Save the Children UK poverty spokesman, Jason Strelitz, said, 'Manyparents on low incomes simply can't afford to go to work. The costs ofchildcare are so high that they lose more money than they make.'
The charity is calling on the Government to raise the minimum wage andworking tax credit to help parents, and to introduce seasonal grants of100 in the summer and winter to help the poorest families withthe extra costs incurred during the school holidays.
Dr Strelitz added, 'Summer is an expensive time for all parents, butparticularly for parents in poverty. They have to keep childrenentertained with activities that cost money. Many are also missing outon the free meals they receive during term time.'
Save the Children is campaigning for the Government to introduceseasonal grants of 100 in the summer and winter to help thepoorest families with the extra costs.