Chilcare costs

[redbear]

Its a debate today on tv and im finding myself a bit annoyed at the debate really. I understand that going back to work is not just about money as the lady on this show has said its keeping your foot in the door and not taking a lower pay when you go back been there to get promotions etc
No one seems to be talking about the jobs where there are no promotion opportunities and are on minimum wage.

For a made up sinario a lady who cleans the bus station on minimum wage with no chance of promotion as they only need one lady, she would earn about £50 a day but childcare for two children with discount for two is £65 (based on a local nursery for under two) so she would be - £15 each day not including transport costs.

Now would this lady really go cleaning toilets and be worse off just so she can say she works. And i know this is probably the wrong way to look at it but im shocked how people assume everyone has a job that you can get promotions etc.

The price of over two's at the local nursery that's £4 for half a day. That's a hell of a lot of difference in price! but they wont take under two (its a sure start nursery)

What are your views on the cost of childcare?

What does everyone think? and how do you make it work? x

 

[tinytoes]

I cannot afford childcare at all . It would cost around 1000 euro a month in a creche and 50 per day with a childminder , also my family situation makes working impossible too . That said I want to work , I want to work to give my children a work ethic and to teach them that things will not to fall into their plates . So I do Avon , I run an Ironing service and do evening babysitting when I can and save my pennies from that.

I really wish they would encourage people to work and help make things easier by making to more affordable .

 

[redbear]

At the minute im making braclets and key chains and will be working for a friend now and again helping out with her buissness but it wont be a wage and it will only be a couple hours on a night now and again i would go back to work part time too but i just cant afford to be any worse off. But the costs are a joke, they want mums to go to work but have now stopped sure start from taking under twos as well and i don't trust private nurseries (personal reasons). I want to move to Scotland they seem to have a better system!

 

[kat1988]

I agree with you, I would live to go back to work after I har my lo, but I work in the pub industry so even if you assume I worked 9-5 and so used a regular nursery/ childminder( which I don't, my hours can be pretty much 24/7!) I won't be able to afford child care, not even nearly! I have always believed you should work for what u get in life, but if I want to pay the bills looks like I'll be relying on benefits...Really Really hate this! The only possibly way I could work is if a friend looked after lo for free while I work part time, but seen as I'm moving in December I won't know anyone well enough to trust them with my child!!! The whole system makes me very angry, it's like being punished for trying to earn my way!

 

[tinytoes]

Without getting too into the "benefits " debate it's people who choose to stay at home and never work that make me angry . In a situation when you need them to pay your bills and live there is no shame .

 

[kat1988]

im mostly angry because I think everyone should work, assuming they are able to, but due to child care costs I know of a few people unable to make ends meet while working, i don't think this is teaching our kids any kind of work ethic!

I would rather the gov paid for child care than my bills, so that I could work, earn my way and teach the next generation how to do the same

 

[tinytoes]

im mostly angry because I think everyone should work, assuming they are able to, but due to child care costs I know of a few people unable to make ends meet while working, i don't think this is teaching our kids any kind of work ethic!

I would rather the gov paid for child care than my bills, so that I could work, earn my way and teach the next generation how to do the same

100percent agree

 

[redbear]

^^ me too - if they did make childcare cheaper more would go to work and stop claiming and they would save money that way. They also need to consider the fact that back at work worse off you also dont get dentist or prescriptions etc and this all works against them! x

 

[kat1988]

They also need to consider the fact that back at work worse off you also dont get dentist or prescriptions etc and this all works against them! x

...unless you live in Wales it's not just the accent that's awesome! xx

 

[willowwisp]

We have already been debating this. I'm self employed and I worked about 10-15 hours per week seeing clients on an 'as required' basis. i.e. I didn't work set days and set times, but worked flexibly depending on what was in demand.

Having a baby is going to be tricky to do that, I can hardly sit there in a client consultation or teaching session with a newborn, if we put baby into a nursery then I will have to attempt to full the specific times he's there which will be difficult, and if I don't then we will be out of pocket for the nursery bill. The cost of nursery is going to eat massively into how much I earn as well, especially when you factor in the cost of transporting him there and back. I'm going to end up working for literally nothing.

DH works long hours, so it's not as easy as just taking clients when he's home, he doesn't always get home before 9pm and he's insistent we spend weekends together as a family.

We aren't entitled to any benefits after my MA runs out owing to DH's income so that was never an option for us. So I suspect we are going to struggle to survive off of what he can earn and I'll stay at home.

 

[BabysMomma]

I had to give up my much wanted job as an auxiliary nurse about 4 months ago due to childcare fees. I volunteer a few hours a week with adults who have learning disability when my OH can have LO, which helps for future employment. I don't tend to stay out of work forever but I just can't afford to pay the childcare fees at the moment and financially I would've been in the minus doing so. It just doesn't make sense.

 

[mrswoody]

Child care costs scare me!! I've been looking at nursery fees and to put LO in full time would be costing nearly £800 a month! It really is ridiculous. I don't even think I can go back to work part time so I need to see how it all pans out. I'm now looking into a childminder instead

 

[littlemiss83]

Oh I know Redbear I agree 100% (I didn't see the programme but this is a common issue)

Its bloody rediculous the cost of child-care, yeah, once they go to council ran nurseries (age 3) its cheap, but majority of council nurseries are only open school days which leaves the problem of long summer holidays.

Its exactly the same in Scotland btw.

When I had my 1st I was in a good job, good wages, I got the mat leave approved, asked to go back part-time hours which was fine, when I went to the job centre to enquire about what benefits i'd be entitled to it was very little & I was told off record by the guy that i'd be better off not working, for some reason that made me more determined, luckily I was in a job with good chance of promotion so that kept me going, but yeah, the nursery was just under £40 a day (and that was 8 years ago) and my wages weren't that far off that, I worked for nothing, did it for years & eventually got a promotion & here I am. I suppose there is an element of luck involved, and the fact that I had the oppertunity to progress.

I'd say if theres a chance of promotion go for it, because it really does help keep you sane having a job, having something that makes you "you" and not mummy. There is always a social aspect to working too. I would have went insane without my job. Its quite nice when LO is first born, having some time to do nothing & concentrate on them, but there becomes a time that you think you just need to do something.

 

[AugustMum]

Im just about to start work and will be using the hospital nursery as I can choose when she goes there and the fees come straight out my wages. Just this evening my OH asked about how much Id take home after childcare and it's about £200. His response was 'that's ridiculous, I'll speak to my family and see what we can do'.

Im baffled by nursery prices. Im lucky in that when we combine our families we could probably not use childcare at all but we want her there for some of the time for interaction. So this next week will.be spent working out the minimum hours to pay for.

I can totally see why some people say they can't afford to work. I pay £4 an hour for some so that's half my hourly rate. Some place though are almost double the cost and what if you were on minimum wage?! Crazy.

 

[AugustMum]

Oh and with regards to promotions Im very lucky in that my work will automatically up my pay as I progress and there whole aim when hiring me was to train me to a higher level. This combined with my LO getting 15 free hours a week of nursery from next September will make things so much easier soon.

 

[Constantstar]

Our childcare is £600 ATM as waiting for the help to come through will prob be about £200 after I hope with help but it's soooooo expensive


Mum of mr O x

 

[Hunnie]

I don't understand how childcare in nurserys is so expensive?! The owners must be making an absolute fortune because a lot of the staff aren't and for me they should be paid more for the job they do.

If I carried on in the job I'm in and worked full time (9-5 5 days a week), Id never be able to do it because the nursery bill would be more than my monthly wage.

I've recently changed jobs to something a fair amount over minimum wage and if it wasn't for my excellent support network I'd never be able to do it!!

The cost of childcare is really the main reason why I don't think ill be able to have another child till LO is in school!

 

[AugustMum]

The cost of childcare is really the main reason why I don't think ill be able to have another child till LO is in school!

Exactly this. I don't want another until LO is in school and even then Im still worried about childcare costs! I've decided to start buying vouchers so I can stock pile them (my mum looked into this for me) so it's like a form of savings but purely for childcare

I know the nursery my LO is going to is an NHS nursery for staff so it's apparently funded and so cheaper than other nurseries. :/ It's so good though that I dont mind paying what I do.

 

[redbear]

i agree with the chance of promotion its worth it and gives you determination and something to aim for but if not it would be so hard to stay motivated in a job you hate for no money. i feel for those with twins who have no choice x

 

[tinks77]

I went back to work 4 days a week, grandparents are my childcare but my working Thursday was only temporary help until she settled on a nursery for that day.
Worked out I would be working for like £10 that day after nursery. It's costs me £5 a day in my bus fares lol
I'm very luckily that I could give up my Thursdays and now only work the 3 days with free childcare. I do 3 long days so hubby can drop me in very early and that means I get back 20 mins before lo to start dinner.
We're now £300 per month worse off and still get no help but its a good balance for us and we get by, not without the odd worry but we can treat ourselves to a take away each week etc

I dread to think how we'd cope if it wasn't for my dad & MIL having lo