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Parents of babies and toddlers say mounting costs and cuts to local services are preventing them from giving their children the best start in life, a survey has revealed.
Children’s charity UNICEF UK has warned that expensive childcare, fewer support services and the cost of housing are contributing to parents worrying about their children’s development.
Of 2,661 parents with children aged four and under surveyed, 70% said it is getting harder to be a parent in Britain.
The current cost of living is impacting 83% of those surveyed.
Jess MacIntyre is a self-employed mother of a two-year-old, living in London.
She says navigating motherhood during the pandemic was difficult but was grateful for her support system, namely her husband, mother-in-law and her mum.
“There wasn’t really a textbook on how to navigate it. We did the best we could, found it a lot more challenging than we expected.
“I think the access to GPs, any sort of medical care, alongside the cost of childcare and also trying to navigate going back to work especially as I was self-employed was very challenging.”
While difficult, she also found the process rewarding.
But she now worries about preparing for her son’s future years with mounting costs everywhere she looks.
“I am worried about my child’s future. In terms of the childcare services, just from day one getting them into a nursery is difficult and expensive.
“Then the mortgage costs are just so huge, we’re currently on an 8% mortgage while we transition, we’re in the process of buying a house and just we’ve had to cut back on everything.”
UNICEF UK, which commissioned the survey carried out by YouGov, is calling on the government to further support children under five and their families and improve early childhood services across the country.
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