• Over three and a half million (28 per cent) grandparents are responsible for        childcare whilst parents are out at work
  
  
• 48 per cent of childcare is carried out by friends and family, with less than a        quarter (22 per cent) handled by childcare professionals
  
  
• Family and friends combined save the UK’s parents nearly £12,000 each year 
  
  
• Nearly three quarters (72 per cent) of parents with children under 15 get help      with childcare

 

New research1 from Churchill Home Insurance reveals friends and family members perform nearly half (48 per cent) of all childcare in the UK, saving parents nearly £12,000 each per year.  If parents were to rely solely on professional childcare arrangements, childminders, live in nannies or nurseries, it would cost them on average £321 a week, working out as £16,692 every year. Using family and friends costs just £95 a week or £4,940 over the course of a year, saving parents £11,752.

Friends and family including grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles, take on the majority of additional childcare, with parents with children under the age of 15 more than twice as likely to rely on their nearest and dearest for support while they are at work than they are to rely on nannies, childminders or nurseries (48 per cent vs 23 per cent).

Partners or spouses remain the go-to babysitters, with 36 per cent called upon to look after children while their other half is away, though the appropriateness of using the term babysitting for a parent looking after their own child is hotly contested. Over a quarter of grandparents (28 per cent) regularly look after children, amounting to some 3.5 million older individuals left holding the baby whilst their own child is at work2. Friends (seven per cent), older siblings (seven per cent) and other family members (six per cent) are also called in to babysit as parents look to save money on childcare.

Around a quarter of parents, meanwhile, say that they either always look after their children themselves (19 per cent), or that their children do not need to be supervised (nine per cent). However, while over a fifth (21 per cent) of parents with children aged 12 or under say that they always look after their child, four per cent said that they believed their children didn’t need supervising at all,  going against the NSPCC’s guideline that children under 12 should not be left alone for long periods of time3. Furthermore, parents and carers can be at risk of prosecution for neglect if it is judged that they placed a child at risk by leaving them at home alone.

 

Table one: Breakdown of hours spent on childcare by different carers and average cost

Source: Churchill Home Insurance 2017

On average parents use the services of other carers 21 hours and 41 minutes per week, spending an estimated £155 on childcare each week, equating to £7,192 each year per child6.

Relying on family members can save working parents a substantial amount of money. While, on average, parents report spending £72 a week to grandparents, the majority (73 per cent) receive this free of charge.

Martin Scott, head of Churchill home insurance said: “The cost of childcare is something most parents worry about as it can be a huge proportion of their household income. It makes sense that parents look to family and friends to not only help ease the financial burden, but also to provide peace of mind that their children are being looked after by people they are close to and already have a relationship with.”

While the majority of their care is taken place in their own home (50 per cent) by babysitters, nannies and family members, children are also looked after in a family member’s own property (22 per cent), dedicated childcare facility like a nursery (14 per cent) and the property of their childminder or babysitter (six per cent)7.

Martin Scott continued: “With children cared for in a multitude of locations it is important child proofing is not forgotten, as their safety should always be a primary concern. If looking after a child in your own property, remember you could potentially be liable if they have an accident in your care, so it is important they are as protected as much as possible. Children love to run about and play, which can often result in unintentional damage, so a comprehensive home insurance policy that includes cover for accidental damage is essential. Child proofing can have multiple meanings!”

When looking at the childcare by the age of the child, under-fives are much more likely to spend their time at a dedicated childcare facility such as a nursery (21 per cent) compared those aged 5-11 (11 per cent). In turn, those aged from five to 11 are more likely to be looked after in their own home (53 per cent) than those under five (42 per cent).
 

ENDS
 

Notes to Editor
 

1 Research conducted by Opinium amongst 2,005 UK adults between 24 and 27 February 2017

2 490 respondents from the sample of 2,005 said they had children aged under 15. This represents 24 per cent of UK adults. 51,339,000 x 24% = 12,546,688. 28% of parents use grandparents for childcare. 12,546,688 x 28% = 3,513,073.

3  Guidelines published by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) states that “children under the age of 12 are rarely mature enough to cope in an emergency and should not be left at home alone for a long period of time.”

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/leaving-child-home-alone

5  Due to small base sizes the average amount spent per week on babysitters, friends, older siblings, other family members and live-in nannies should be treated as indicative only.

6  Figure calculated on the UK statutory holiday entitlement of 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday per year

7 Churchill Home Insurance can provide registered childminders with accidental damage cover but does not provide liability cover in relation to their business
 

For further information please contact:

Claire Foster 

Churchill PR Manager

01651831672 

07525665504
 

Churchill

Founded in 1989, Churchill is now one of the UK's leading providers of general insurance, offering car, home, travel and pet insurance cover over the phone or on-line.

Churchill general insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England and Wales No 1179980. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.  

Churchill and U K Insurance Limited are both part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc.  

Customers can find out more about Churchill products or get a quote by calling 0300 200300 or visiting www.churchill.com