Parents in the UK face some of the highest childcare costs in the world. This affects their ability to work, train and study, forcing families to make difficult financial choices. In spring 2011, Save the Children and Daycare Trust surveyed more than 4,000 parents to explore their views on access to childcare and the impact of childcare costs on family incomes and work prospects.This briefing examines how the cost of childcare impacts on parents’ employment, family budgets, and in turn, child poverty.