A Britain where people cannot afford to raise children? We see that risk, and won’t let it happen | Bridget Phillipson

Politics The Guardian By Bridget Phillipson 25 May 2026 11:07 1 min read

We are spending billions to help families with childcare, but I fear profiteers are denying them the full benefit. I’ll put a stop to that Bridget Phillipson orders review of hidden childcare charges hitting parents Britain is facing a family crisis that politicians do not talk about nearly enough. Birthrates are now the lowest since records began. More and more young people are delaying having children – or deciding they simply cannot afford to have a family at all. When you look at the cost

We are spending billions to help families with childcare, but I fear profiteers are denying them the full benefit. I’ll put a stop to that

Bridget Phillipson orders review of hidden childcare charges hitting parents

Britain is facing a family crisis that politicians do not talk about nearly enough. Birthrates are now the lowest since records began. More and more young people are delaying having children – or deciding they simply cannot afford to have a family at all. When you look at the cost of raising children today, it is easy to see why.

Families are feeling the pinch. Many now spend more than £250,000 raising a child to the age of 18. For many parents, the pressure starts long before school, with childcare costs that have risen far faster than wages for years.

Bridget Phillipson is secretary of state for education, women and equalities

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

Read the full story on The Guardian → Opens the original article on www.theguardian.com

Summary aggregated from The Guardian's public RSS feed. The full reporting belongs to The Guardian — please read it on their site.