Private care not viable for 75% of lone parents

NEARLY three-quarters of lone parents are stay-at-home parents or rely on grandparents to care for their children as they can’t afford any other form of private care, the first nationwide poll on childcare has learnt.

Fifty percent of lone parents are stay-at-home parents while 25% rely on grandparent childcare. This compares with parents from all backgrounds where 52% stay at home and 17% are looked after by grandparents.

Most lone parents are younger with 17% of them under the age of 17 compared to just 5% of all parents.