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High cost of childcare stops London parents working

Parents in the capital are less likely to work than those in other areas of the country because of the high cost of childcare, according to a new report.

Lambeth and Southwark councils' Childcare Commission, with the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), found that maternal employment in London is 15 per cent lower than in the rest of the country, mainly due to the cost of childcare.

The commission's report looks at the affordability and flexibility of childcare in the South London boroughs and makes a series of recommendations to make it easier for parents to get back to work, such as a matchmaking service, which would pair qualified childminders with parents who are looking for flexible childcare.

The commission also calls for both councils to encourage local employers to set up workplace nurseries.

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