The figures cover children aged four to 14 and are based on responses from 199 local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales. The data was returned between April and June 2026. The report also raises a wider concern about availability. In many areas, councils could not confirm whether enough holiday childcare places existed for local families, particularly for children with special educational needs and disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The average weekly cost of a holiday club across Britain now stands at \u00a3190.77, while a childminder costs \u00a3251.48. Over six weeks, the difference between holiday club care and after-school care amounts to \u00a3726 per child. Wales has the highest average holiday club price, at \u00a3223.59 a week. According to Coram Family and Childcare<\/a>, this represents a 10% annual rise<\/strong> and brings the typical six-week bill in Wales to \u00a31,342.<\/p>\n\n\n\n England\u2019s average holiday club cost is \u00a3189.71 a week, compared with \u00a3179.95 in Scotland. Within England, the South East records the highest regional average at \u00a3226.55, followed by the North East at \u00a3219.76 and Inner London at \u00a3217.74. The largest annual increase<\/strong> was recorded in Inner London, where holiday club prices rose by 16%. The North East saw a 12% rise. Yorkshire and the Humber was the only region to record a fall, with prices down by 1% to \u00a3189.22 a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Childminder costs were higher than holiday club prices in every listed region. Inner London had the highest weekly childminder rate at \u00a3371.82, while the South West recorded the lowest at \u00a3205.58. These figures <\/strong>do not include financial support that some families <\/a>may receive. The report uses prices before assistance is applied so that annual changes can be compared consistently, while recognising that eligibility varies between households.<\/p>\n\n\n\n