Should Grandparents Be Paid To Babysit? Here's What People Think |
Childcare is still pretty extortionate for families in 2026 – a full-time nursery place for a child under two costs on average £12,425 in England (with 15 funded hours), £12,469 in Scotland or £15,083 in Wales, according to Day Nurseries.
So it’s no wonder then that grandparents are increasingly stepping in to help look after their grandkids.
Whether it’s after-school care, a couple of days a week looking after tiny tots, or something even more substantial, plenty of grandparents are doing their bit – a SunLife survey from 2023 found more than half provided some form of childcare during the working week, giving up more than four hours a day on average.
Not only were grandparents not being paid to provide childcare, but it was costing them £80 a week to pay for food, activities and equipment, which totted up to more than £4,000 a year.
Should grandparents get paid to look after their grandkids?
If........