THE cost of child care sometimes exceeds the earnings of one parent and some are considering leaving work, according to a new survey.

A poll of 1,000 parents commissioned by family charity 4Children revealed that one in five parents will cut their working hours or quit their jobs to reduce child care costs during 2015.

According to figures from the Family and child care Trust, the cost of child care for an average family with one child in full-time nursery and one child in an after-school club is £11,700 a year.

Ian Francis, from West Swindon, said it had been a difficult but necessary decision for his wife, Louise, to return to work after the birth of their daughter Amelia, now aged four.

“Returning to work full time when Amelia was 10 months old was a very difficult decision for Louise,” said Ian, 42.

“But financially things were very difficult, and even with the child care costs it made sense to go back to full-time work.

“I think she would rather have stayed at home and continue to spend time with Amelia.”

Ian added: “Amelia is in full-time child care from 8am to 6pm everyday.

“We don’t have any family nearby – they’re in London and Wales – so it’s not like we can just call up grandparents and ask them to look after her if she’s poorly. For- tunately both our workplaces are quite understanding so we can take the time if we need to.”

Ian and Louise take part in the Government’s child care voucher scheme, which enables parents to save money by not paying tax on a part of the amount they spend on child care.

Each month, £243 is deducted from each of their salaries for vouchers, which are then paid directly to Amelia’s nursery.

Because this amount is not subject to tax, it saves them about £100 per month in total.

The couple then pay an additional £320 in nursery fees.

More than half the parents surveyed by 4Children thought political parties should do more to help parents meet the costly demands of child care.

But South Swindon MP Robert Buckland said the Government would introduce a more generous, tax-free child care scheme – which will replace the existing vou-cher system – in the autumn.

This will mean parents can claim a 20 per cent tax rebate on child care costs of up to £10,000, thereby saving up to £2,000 in tax.

Mr Buckland said: “As a parent myself, I well know the challenges that parents face.”