How to reduce those bonkers childcare costs? Post Reply

[mumtobe]

Hi,

I am French, expecting my first child and slightly worried by the cost of childcare. My in-laws have offered to come often to look after our little one when I return to work but I realise this won't do as you pay for Nursery whether your child goes there or not.
Any tips on more flexible child caring solutions?

Thanks

[Notyetamum]

Hi there!

Congratulations! Hope the pregnancy is going well.

I will also be looking at softening the blow of childcare costs as, like you I am French, expecting my first baby and my whole family is in France with the in-laws not that close by.

I've heard that a nanny share helps keep costs down but I'm not sure how it compare to the cost of a nursery. I would hazard a guess that a nanny share works out cheaper as you would only have to pay for the hours your baby is with the nanny as opposed to having to subscribe for a place at the nursery.

Maybe someone with children can shed light on this?

[Susi@reCentre]

Hello

Yes, I have had both nursery and a nanny and there are pros and cons to each.

A nanny share can work out cheaper - as you say, just hire a nanny for the days / hours you are working. A nanny will cost around £10 per hour. You should look for an ofsted registered homechildcarer as they will have all the qualifications as well as pediatric first aid (all important if you are handing over your baby to be cared for by someone else). If you find someone who isn't registered, you can pay £100 to get them registered - ofsted will run CRB checks on them too. If you are not registering them, make sure they have insurance and first aid as a minimum.

You should employ them and pay them through PAYE. There are companies set up to help with this - I found paye for nannies the cheapest and most helpful.

Remember, when you employ someone you have to pay tax and NI for them as well as holiday pay.

For a baby, I think a nanny is the best solution and if you can share, all the better.

Good luck with everything.

S

[Nicolette Warnes]

Hello my name is Nicolette and i am the manager at Bringing up Baby day nursery on Peardon Street.

We offer full day care (8-6) or morning sessions(8-1) or afternoon sessions (1-6pm).

What about sending your baby to nursery 2 or 3 days a week and your inlaws looking after the baby the other days in the week - then you are not spending so much on childcare? you don't have to book your child in 5 days a week.

our number is 020 7498 3165 if you want to book a visit

[MGMidget]

Childminders are often cheaper than nursery and can be more flexible on hours although in most cases they would still expect you to pay if your child is sick and can't attend on their usual days. You can get a list of local childminders from Wandsworth Council and also do a search on the internet. I've seen one or two ones that look good on the internet - e.g. there's one called 'Active Cherubs' in Clapham South area that looks good judging by the website and OFSTED report on their website. I've not used them though as I went the nanny route.

I think a nannyshare would also normally work out cheaper than nursery and give you more flexibility. This could also be part-time (as could a childminder) so for all childcare options you could combine some time with other family members handling some of the childcare along with two or three days in paid-for childcare. Nannyshare do need some proactive effort and communication to work well though - both families need to be prepared to discuss issues, reach compromises etc.

[mumtobe]

Hi,

Thank you all for your valuable responses and advice. The issue here is more that I have no family in the UK. My parents and in-laws would be happy to come on a regular basis but that would be 1 week at a time so I would still need to register our child for care on a full time basis.

I will keep looking and let you know!

Thanks!

[clare74]

We have been looking into the options as well recently - comparing nanny share and nursery. If like me you will be going back to work full time (or maybe 4 days a week) then it seemed that the nursery came out cheaper - typically around £300 per week rather than a nanny share at £400 by the time you've paid tax, holidays etc. (You may want to double-check the latter - it was based on 10 hours x 5 days @ £6 per hour net.)

Our initial preference was for a nanny share as I will have to go back to work when the baby is around 9 months old which is quite little still! However, because you can register for nurseries earlier, we started the search and both my husband and I agreed that we really liked a particular one (others left us a bit cold), so have put our names down for that.

Good luck with your search!

[GardenRosie]

Have a look at http://www.third-door.com- my daughter goes there and it works for me as I work upstairs (its also a workhub) but I know the childcare is flexible so you may be able to pay as you go - give them a call - Shazia (the owner) is lovely x

[2009Kat]

Hi there, we use a combination of a nannyshare for a couple of days a week and our own nanny at home for the rest of the time. This works really well for us. I just wanted to mention that if you do go down the nanny/nanny share route then nannies obviously take holiday (you usually arrange it so the nanny chooses half her holiday and you choose when she takes the rest but as with anything there are always compromises etc) or sometimes take time off for other reasons. This is where grandparents come into their own - my parents and in laws could live in France they are so far away from London and I just book them to come and stay when the nanny is on hols or we need to go away for a few days for various reasons (e.g. weddings or just time off!). Obviously with a nursery they are generally always open so this isn't a problem....

The costs may seem bonkers but at the end of the day if you and your child are happy with your childcare arrangements then I think it is worth it for peace of mind!

[murgs]

Does you employer offer childcare vouchers?

If you have a combined income of less than £40k think your entitle to tax credits from the govenment which will assist slightly.

[Groucho]

Hi there,
I know the babyroom nursery's do a day swap option where you can swap a day or two in advance if you know something like your family are over. The swap days are subject to availability and you pay a £10 admin charge. It worked very well for us when my child was there. I'm just thinking though that only works if they are not there full time.