Childcare costs could fall under Gove’s plans

Childcare costs could fall under Gove’s plans

The cost of childcare could be cut by 28% if the government was to go ahead with plans to raise ratios of children to staff in nurseries, according to the Department for Education (DfE). The calculations, released by the DfE under a Freedom of Information request, said parent costs could be cut from £4 an hour to £3.49 an hour (a 12% cut), while teacher salaries could go up. Alternatively, if the extra revenue was used solely to reduce costs for parents, this could yield savings for parents of up to 28%.