18 January 2006
Nannies' Mc-fees soar - parents pay £28,000 for childcare
By Flora Stubbs
The cost of employing a nanny in London has risen by twice the rate of inflation in the past year. Figures today show the average salary of a live-in nanny is now £21,573, up 7.5% on a year ago. Live-out daily nannies working in central London earn on average of £28,171, a rise of more than 4%. A study commissioned by Nursery World magazine also found live-in childcare in the capital costs more than anywhere else in Britain.
The Home Counties was the second-most costly area, with the average live-in nanny earning £18,776 and a live-out nanny £22,971. The average increases are the first for several years and experts say are caused by a shortage of qualified childcarers, particularly those prepared to live with a family. Most nannies questioned for the study said they preferred the independence of living outside the family home.
Liz Roberts, editor of Nursery World, said: "Despite the rise in salaries, having a nanny is still the preferred choice for many families as it is flexible and cost-effective, particularly for those with several children." Sue Laing, 43, a finance director from Gerrards Cross who has hired nannies for her and husband John's four children for more than 13 years, said: "These figures don't surprise me - paying for childcare accounts for a very significant proportion of our income." She pays her nanny, who visits daily, £350 per week and provides her with a car. "If a nanny is well-trained and competent, then I am willing to pay," said Mrs Laing. "Nothing is worth more than my children's well-being."
The study also found more families are taking up the Government's Childcare Approval Scheme, launched in April [2005], which offers tax savings of up to £2,132 a year for working parents who employ nannies.
© Copyright of Evening Standard 2006.