Grandparents 'save childcare costs'
Updated on 28 January 2009
Half of grandparents babysit at least one young grandchild for 20 hours per week and save cash-strapped families thousands of pounds, a new survey has shown.
A parent who works full-time saves £6,144 per each pre-school child by persuading their parents to care for youngsters instead of paying for care, the poll by Yours magazine said.
The survey of 1,500 grandparents also showed 12% look after children for more than 40 hours per week, and a fifth care for three or more young children.
Yours editor Valery McConnell said: "Modern grans are the secret fuel the economy runs on. Today's young families would struggle even more to pay their mortgage and bills if Gran didn't help out with free childcare and financial handouts.
"It's time the Government woke up to the valuable childminding work grandparents do, day in, day out, across the country."
A small proportion, 7%, receive payment for looking after their grandchildren, around £10 per day, and 72% receive no contribution at all.
Nine out of 10 of grandparents with grandchildren under four said childcare vouchers should be made available for parents to pay them.
A third struggle to pay for heating and 21% find it difficult to pay their council tax.
Ms McConnell added: "Grans don't want or expect payment from their own children - they know they can't afford it - but they overwhelmingly think they should be eligible to childcare vouchers towards payment.
"It's a nonsense that current Government policy favours young children being bought up outside the family unit when most mums would clearly prefer their young children to be bought up by a family member they trust to love and protect their child as much as they would themselves."
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