Childcare moneypit: How nannies, nurseries and minders can cost parents as much as £39,000 a year

Some are having to find as much money for a nursery place, nanny or childminder as they would if their child was at a boarding school such as Eton or Harrow, according to a survey.

The research shows that average childcare charges around the country have rocketed - rising faster than the rate of inflation for the seventh year in a row.

Critics say this makes a mockery of Government attempts to persuade more women to return to work, because the fees are beyond the reach of most families, including the middle classes.

The average cost for a nursery place for under-twos across the whole of England is £159 per week, compared to average earnings of £457 a week. This brings the annual bill up to £8,268, close to the cost of sending an older child to some independent day schools.

The survey by charity the Daycare Trust shows nursery charges have risen by 5 per cent over the last year - more than twice the inflation rate which, according to the Government's chosen measure, is 2.1 per cent. London and the South-East have the highest charges, with parents paying up to £202 a week for fulltime nursery care of under-twos.

However, the highest reported cost was for a childminder, in West Sussex, who was charging £750 a week or £39,000 a year.

This is more than the annual salary of a nanny, who can earn around £30,000 a year. It is also more than the annual fees of £26,490 for Eton College.

The average fee for childminders in England is £144 per week for a child under two and £142 for a youngster of two and over. This increase is broadly in line with the inflation rate.

However, out-of-school club charges have risen by more than six times the inflation rate, with typical costs of £43 for 15 hours a week.

In Wales, a typical nursery place for under-twos is £7,384-a-year (£142 per week) - an 8 per cent increase on last year. For children aged two or more over, it is £141 - a 12 per cent rise on 2007.

Alison Garnham, joint chief executive of the Daycare Trust, said childcare costs were higher in Britain than elsewhere in Europe. Many parents missed out on the vouchers and tax credits that could help.

Critics have attacked Labour for pressuring new mothers back to the workplace before they are ready.

A 2003 policy paper on equality for women, backed by four Cabinet Ministers, claimed there were "real problems" over women who stay at home to bring up their children.

The document suggested that mothers who stayed at home were failing to repay the state for the cost of their time in education.

But author and academic Patricia Morgan said: "When there was this great campaign to get all the women out to work because they were unproductive at home, it was somehow assumed that childcare outside the home was a "non cost".

"But we are now discovering what they found out in the Soviet Union and Sweden - that out of home care is extremely expensive. Unless you are earning a huge salary someplace like the City, it's a case of is it worth it? It's ludicrous."