Revealed: The UK's most expensive regions for childcare (because not all childcare costs are equal)

New data from Childcare.co.uk has revealed the UK regions that have the highest average hourly rates for childcare services and its no surprise that childcare costs in London are higher than anywhere else in the UK. The south east is the next most expensive region in the UK for childcare, with an average hourly rate of £7.16. On the other end of the scale the east Midlands offers the cheapest childcare, at just £6.09, well below the national average.

Government announces new tax-free childcare scheme and promises to save families £2K a year

The Government has been promising to do more to help working parents in this area for some time now and yesterday the Chancellor outlined their plans for this trickiest of parenting areas. In his budget speech Philip Hammond announced that two million households would be eligible for tax free childcare by the end of the year. Working parents of three and four year olds would be entitled to the extension of free childcare hours from the current 15 to 30 hours, later this year.

Childcare worker accused of breastfeeding baby without the mum's permission

A mum is hoping to press charges after a childcare worker was allegedly caught on video breastfeeding her son without permission. The mum from North Carolina claims to have recorded the video from security footage inside her three-month-old son’s nursery. According to ABC7 the clip shows the worker adjusting her top before bringing the child to her chest to breastfeed him.

New 'Uber for nannies' app for childcare could soon be on the way

Little Ones is the brainchild of mum-of-three, Viviana Rossios, from Melbourne who came up with the idea to give parents a “well-deserved break”. Parents simply log on when they need a nanny, check which childcare providers are online and then book their caregiver of choice. “I’m a mum of three young children,” Viviana told Daily Mail Australia.

This is what we can expect parenting to look like in 2017

Should working parents receive free childcare?

“Basically one of us will be working to just pay for childcare costs, but then we can’t afford for one of us not to work either. “Very difficult to find affordable childcare to match the needs to a job,” Zara H said.

Nearly Three Million Brits In ‘Distressed Relationships’ Regularly Contemplate Divorce

The Relationship Distress Monitor report outlines how parenting stresses and financial pressures are leaving almost 1.4 million families at breaking point. It is also claimed that the effects of constant bickering and stresses at home have a ‘far-reaching’ impact on children, who are then more likely to fall into antisocial behaviour and crime. Dr David Marjoribanks, senior policy officer at the charity Relate, which carried out the report, said: ‘It is not just the actual breakdown of the relationship itself, it’s specifically the conflict that surrounds that.