childcare costs?????

[BeckyJ]

im planning on returning to work after my maternity leave as i like to have my own money and have a bit of independance but know im going to struggle leaving the baby so im not ruling out being a stay at home mum

ive never looked into childcare costs, does anyone know how much they are? per day or hour? for a baby

thanks

 

[tinkerbell*]

hey, i am a nursery nurse at NHS hospital.
going by our rates..... its £32 for a full day session (thats anything over 4.5hrs) and if you earn under £35,000 per year.

£35,000 + is £45 per day OUCH!

this may be different from area - area i live in West sussex. and we are one of the chespest nurserys in the area

hope this is of some help. x

 

[Geordie&Bairn]

Depend on what childcare you want for you bubba
Childminder, Nanny live in live out Private day Nursery ect
Or if you our going back full time, part time ,mornings or afternoons only ect

I can tell you about Private day nursery
Mine on average for one child full time 5 days a weeks is about £870 to £900. PCM YEP i know Blood hell
Though those on a low wage get some help from the goverment im not sure how much that is (i will ask my manager tommorow how it works)
That why i cant return to work after because the above monthly cost of a child place in my nursery is How much i EARN a month.
And my nursery has an unwritten policy no staff children in the Nursery (well that is unless you our the manager )
So id have to find childcare else where
whats the point in my working for nothing to pay someone to look after my child while i look after other peoples children dosn't make any sense at all
It goes down once they reach 3 as they our funded for 2 hours by the goverment but that no use at the moment.

I dont know how much it would cost where you live id do some research on it and shop around to get the best deals for the best child care.
You may find that the best childcarers /Nurseries will have a waiting list.
So it advisable to get yourself on it before the baby's born.

Dont just go for the cheapest check out OFSTED websites they regulate childcare.... childminders, playschemes, and Nurseries ect ect and rate them for efficency.

 

[Sherlock]

What has been said above is good advice

It really does vary region to region and also depending on what kind of child care you require.

It may be best to look at childminders first, as these are probably the most reasonable rates. LO goes to someone else home, with a few other children. Every childminder has to be registered etc, so should have passed all the relevant checks they require in this day and age and afaik will have insurance etc to work out of their own home.

Nurseries can work out more than you take home each month and tbh, while there are many good ones out there, for smaller children I do think a more personal environment is nicer.

Nannies are a whole other bag. You may be able to find someone who wants to do a nanny share, either in their home or yours. But you will have to employ a nanny and therefore will be paying their tax, NI etc and of course then have to factor in their annual leave, maternity leave rights etc. Nanny Tax has info on all the employment aspects. They can work out cost effective if you find a nanny share possibly, but it really depends on how many hours a week you want covered.

I opted to leave my job as a nanny and won't be returning there after my maternity leave it up. Not that we can't afford some childcare, and also my hubby is self employed so can care for LO a couple of days a week if need be, but that I felt it was daft to go back and look after someone elses kids when I would have my own at home. I've spent 14 odd years nannying and enough is enough for me now If I do return to work it will be just a PT job somewhere local doing whatever for no more than 16 hours a week. That way hubby can cover childcare rather than us having to pay for it.

 

[BeckyJ]

im not on a particularly good wage, so i dont think it would be worth it for me, thanks for the advice girlies, i'll have a shop around 8)

 

[Tick-Tock]

I work for a university, they have a uni nursery and it's £614 a month for staff... however the waiting list is miles long.... our other options are the local kids unlimited at £700pm or a childminder at 3.50-4.50 an hour (about £850 pm).

However, you really should look into the government childcare voucher scheme where you pay for vouchers before tax and NI and so get £140 of vouchers for every £100 you put in. Each parent can claim up to £235 per month.. That means if we get into the uni nursey it only really costs us £400pm or about £450 for kidsunlimited, childminders take them too....

http://www.childcarevouchers.co.uk/goog ... oyers.html

 

[andreaaa]

As you live in the Midlands you're not looking at more than £32 per day really. And as has been said you can get your wage topped up with child tax credits.

Maybe a family member would like to help out... you could work part time... set up your own business from home... there's lots of things you can do to top up your income and keep your independence

 

[mandspice]

This is really useful - I always assumed nurseries would be the cheapest option but it seems that childminders may be more economical, esp as I'll probably only be working part time....something to think about anyway x

 

[Sherlock]

This is really useful - I always assumed nurseries would be the cheapest option but it seems that childminders may be more economical, esp as I'll probably only be working part time....something to think about anyway x

If anything daycare/nurseries are probably the most expensive option, unless you employ a full time nanny in your home. That will work out more expensive, but they are only caring for your children, not a group of them.