And while the government announced increased childcare allowance in the recent spring budget, where households where both parents work will be offered 30 hours of free childcare during term time, two in five mums believe that these plans don’t go far enough.

The data is supported by research from campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed, with one in four parents who use formal childcare saying that the cost is now more than 75% of their take-home pay. Of those surveyed, one in four parents who use formal childcare say they had to rely on some form of debt to cover childcare costs.

In response, a Department for Education spokesperson told Stylist: “We recognise the cost pressures that childcare has on parents, which is why we recently announced a transformative package of childcare support. This includes a new 30 free hours entitlement for eligible working parents of children between nine months and their fifth birthday and a series of trailblazers ahead of a national roll out of primary school wraparound care.

“This builds on our existing support which has totalled £20 billion over the past five years. We have provided record levels of financial support for the most vulnerable - £1,200 last year and a further £1,350 in 2023/24. This is on top of an increase in benefits of 10.1% this week, a continuation of the Energy Price Guarantee, and the Household Support Fund, which is helping with essential food and energy costs.”

The cost of childcare in the UK is preventing 2 in 5 mothers from returning to work