Stories

Sat, 25 Jul 2026

Sat, 25 Jul 2026 'We feel the pressure juggling holiday logistics'

Parents say childcare costs, unpaid leave and SEND support gaps make summer holidays harder
+ 89% of parents used annual leave to cover holiday childcare + 1/3 of parents took unpaid leave + Half of parents said childcare costs affected their ability to afford essentials
* Amy Nelson, a self-employed mum of three, works from home and has to start work at 6am and continue until midnight to balance her business with childcare responsibilities
* Another self-employed dad, Alex Cummings, pays for his child to attend a sports club four days a week but still has to take time off work to fill in the gaps
* The survey also found that: + 80% of parents using informal childcare relied on grandmothers + 1/3 of mothers reduced their hours or took unpaid leave during the summer holidays + 5% of mums had to leave work entirely due to childcare responsibilities
* Tzara Spurrier, a mum who runs an Instagram account offering budgeting tips for families, advises parents to look beyond big attractions and consider independent cafes or free play areas as affordable alternatives
* Harriet, a single mum with two children with special educational needs (SEN), found it difficult to find holiday activities that catered to their needs and had to rely on grandparents who are 82 and 87 years old and have advanced dementia
* The Somerset Parent Carer Forum surveyed its members and found that finding holiday activities for SEN children is a "recurring concern" due to lack of support and respite for families.