THE logistics of childcare is an all-year-round consideration for many working parents.

But the most testing time is during the long summer holidays when parents are bound by their own annual leave entitlement which they have to use wisely and often sparingly to try and accommodate as many out-of-term breaks as they can throughout the year.

While many parents or carers are able to rely on family to help out, others have to seek out alternative childcare which can be costly.

The annual Holiday Childcare Survey, published by the Family and Childcare Trust and sponsored by Computershare and Community Playthings, highlights a lack of childcare and sheds light on the struggle parents have in juggling work, school holidays and summer childcare.

The new report shows the vast majority of local authorities - 87 per cent in England and 95 per cent in Wales - admit they simply don't have enough holiday childcare to meet demand. In Scotland, just three local authorities had enough holiday childcare for working parents, and over a third did not even have relevant data to analyse the situation in their areas.

The gaps in holiday childcare provision are increasing significantly, with the number of English local authorities lacking sufficient childcare for working parents. There are now 28 local authorities in England, 13 in Wales and four in Scotland where there are severe shortages of childcare - affecting an estimated 1.5 million children.

Despite recent Government efforts to make childcare more affordable, the average price of one week's full-time holiday childcare is now £123.49 - up 7.8 per cent in the last 12 months. Looking across the last five years, prices of holiday clubs have risen by nearly 25 per cent.

The report sets out a number of measures that could ease the burden on parents across Britain, including funding support for providers to help with their start-up costs and business sustainability, and making sure local authorities produce accurate and timely online information listing holiday clubs and activities for parents.

Stephen Dunmore, chief executive at the Family and Childcare Trust, says: "These are worrying findings at a time when the Government is pushing through its ambitious and welcome plans to make childcare more affordable for parents. It is time for action on the Cinderella service that is holiday childcare, otherwise many parents will struggle to hold down a job or find their summer plans in tatters.

"Local authorities must be supported in their market management to stop the decline in childcare places so that all parents have the access to childcare that they so desperately need.

"We are also calling on the Government to make sure there are no further delays in the roll out of Tax Free Childcare so that this vital support is available to parents as soon as possible."

Mum of five, Ruth Weston, who runs Aquabirths in Bradford, believes an overhaul of the current school holiday system could help with the childcare situation.

"I think summer holidays should be abolished as they are. We should have two weeks at October half term and two weeks at spring bank and just have four weeks in August or July, whichever suits our system," says Ruth.

"Instead of summer being a relaxing time it is a nightmare with children milling about, expensive and inadequate childcare and holiday clubs and trying to combine work with children. It should not be this way."

She adds: "I always point out that we no longer need children to have long summer holidays to help with the harvest - but we do have lots of parents who need holidays that work with their employment status better - ie more frequent and shorter breaks. It is better for children too."

Anne-Marie O'Leary, editor in chief of parenting site Netmums said: "The summer holidays are a real crunch point for working families' finances and put a huge strain on parents trying to do the right thing and support their children.

"Holiday childcare costs have leapt by a quarter in just five years, while pay rises have only crept up a fraction of this amount, making it simply unaffordable for many families.

"There are very few jobs which allow mums six weeks off over summer to care for their kids, so the Government, councils and schools need to have proper policies and joined-up thinking in place to ensure children have the continuity of quality care they need over summer."