Excerpts from the press release:
Nursery fees in Scotland are increasing at almost double the rate of those in England, and rising at more than five times the rate of those in Wales, according to a survey published today by Children in Scotland and Daycare Trust.
A typical full-time nursery place for a child under two is £146 a week &em; still lower than the cost in England (£152), but rising very fast. This compares to average UK earnings of £447 a week last year. The costs have increased from £132 last year, a rise of ten per cent. The cost increases in England and Wales were six per cent and two per cent respectively.
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Bronwen Cohen, chief executive of Children in Scotland, said: "If we get them right, early years services have a huge role to play in contributing to the wellbeing of the child and developing healthy lifestyles alongside the care required by parents. The survey results underline the need to integrate pre-school education with childcare, and ensure that all young children have access to full-day provision when required in neighbourhood services. This would build better community cohesion, support more secure childhoods and move Scotland and the UK up the rankings of child well-being in advanced nations."