Hundreds prepare for 'March of the Mummies' to demand affordable childcare

The march has been organised by campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed, who say the UK has some of the world's most expensive childcare

Hundreds of people campaigning for improvements in childcare and working conditions for parents are preparing to march in Manchester.

'The March of the Mummies' will take place in the city centre on Saturday 29 October, alongside similar protests in 11 other cities nationwide.

It has been organised by campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed, who point to international statistics showing the UK has some of the world's most expensive childcare.

The UK is close to the top of the world table in childcare costs Credit: PA

The group's founder, Joeli Brearley, believes childcare is now "completely unaffordable" for most families.

She told Granada Reports: "The reason why we should invest in childcare is because it’s just that - it’s an investment.

"We know from Canada [where] they’ve recently invested $30bn Canadian Dollars in their childcare sector, to create a system that costs no more than $10 a day.

"They’ve done this because they crunched the numbers and they found that for every dollar they invested in childcare they got between $1.50 and $2.80 back into the wider economy.”

Joeli Brearley, Founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, speaks to ITV's Gamal Fahnbulleh

Ms Brearley said children are being "born into poverty" because parental leave is not well paid enough and a lack of flexible working conditions are "forcing parents out of the workforce."

"We’ve got a skills crisis in the UK," she said. "Employers are desperately trying to find highly-skilled people to work in their company.

"Meanwhile, we have hundreds of thousands of skilled women desperate to work who can’t."

She added: "Eight in 10 dads say they would do anything to spend more time with their children. Meanwhile, we’re forcing women back to the kitchen sink.

"Neither parent wants that scenario.”

New mothers, and fathers, need more help say the protest organisers Credit: PA

March organisers ague that mothers face a "pay penalty" after giving birth and that too few job adverts mention flexible working when increasing numbers of people "want to work flexibly."

Campaigners are calling on ministers to set out an action plan.

A Government spokesperson said: “The Government is committed to supporting working parents and helping them participate and progress in their working life in a way that’s fair and suits them.

“The UK has one of the most generous maternity leave entitlements in the world and to support working parents we have spent more than £20 billion over the past five years to improve the cost, choice, and availability of childcare.

"We want employees to be able to request when, where, and how they work, and that’s why the Government has recently consulted on making the right to request flexible working a day one right for all employees.”

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