Over the last year , 53 % of private nurseries in England have hiked their prices , alongside 28 % of nurseries and 25 % of childminders , found a study conducted by the Department of Education ( England ) . After the Conservatives initially promised that free childcare would save working parents up to £ 5,000 a year per child , the visible gains have been hard to spot . The Conservative manifesto pledge allowed working parents to claim 30 minutes of free childcare a week during term time but it seems families of a lower income have missed out . The DfE research suggests at least half of the parents who took up the offer, believing they would receive free childcare, are now being asked by their provider to pay additional charges, such as for lunches, snacks, special activities and outings. One in seven families are spending more on childcare since the Conservatives set aside £ 1bn to bring this figure down .
Over the last year , 53 % of private nurseries in England have hiked their prices , alongside 28 % of nurseries and 25 % of childminders , found a study conducted by the Department of Education ( England ) . After the Conservatives initially promised that free childcare would save working parents up to £ 5,000 a year per child , the visible gains have been hard to spot . The Conservative manifesto pledge allowed working parents to claim 30 minutes of free childcare a week during term time but it seems families of a lower income have missed out . One in seven families are spending more on childcare since the Conservatives set aside £ 1bn to bring this figure down .