weapon69

Just wondered how much childcare would cost for a 4month old baby? I have absolutely no clue about this sort of thing and wondered how much its 'usual' to have to pay daily/weekly?

Thanks

stevem2k

Depends where you are in the country ...... Ellie is at a creche attached to my wife's hospital and it's subsidised at 600 pm (Mon-Fri). Other parents are paying around a grand a month ( or pro rata ). You still pay when they are sick or on holiday.


Steve

weapon69

lol thanks Steve, im laughing because i would earn about half that amount in a month

O.M.G.

stevem2k

It may be radically different if you aren't in the SE. Phone a couple of local ones and ask .......

scoobyangel

the one my son goes to is £22 a day for an under 2

scoobypreza

yeah between £22-£25 a day here in north wales

ouch

mattstant

I'm Currently paying £450 A month for a four day week For my 20 month old boy and will be paying twice that soon for my little girl.
It will work out at £11,000 a year for the two next month

weapon69

The cost is quite scary!!

Unless i suddenly manage to get a well paid job when the baby gets here, not sure how i'll be able to go back to work

chiark

450 quid per month with a registered child carer in Leeds...

the moose

Depends on whether you're looking at a nursery or a childminder. Childminder costs vary, but typically £4.00-4.50 in Herts.

Assume 8.00 - 6.00 to allow you to get to/from work, and you're looking at £45 per day from your net; essentially, you've got to be earning £8.00 before tax/NI to make it even start to make financial sense.

On the flip side, by keeping on working you can continue up the career ladder and increase your earnings, something you'll never do if you stay at home. Difficult, though, when you're looking at giving up lots of quality time with kiddy and paying all your earnings out to a childminder, just to keep your career going.

Ringpeas

You can claim some of the costs back on familly tax credit, depends on how much your partner earns though.

coupe_20vt

iTrader: (2)

We've got 3 kids who at one time were all in childcare at the same time. Luckily 2 are now in school and 1 is at Nursery.

It worked out at about £23 a day per child in nursery and a little more for a childminder.

You should be entitled to a number of free sessions per week, the nursery will arrange all this for you.

Kids, 20 seconds of pleasure, 18 years of misery

weapon69

Moose-lol i don't have a career! Its just a job in a department store and its nowhere near £8p/h. Problem is there is no money available for me to stay at home with my baby either

Ringpeas-i looked into that tax credit thing and im not eligible due to my partners earnings I'm totally screwed for money basically

The only remaining option is pretty poor really-me and partner live separately

fast bloke

He could rent you a room -

Mice_Elf

Is Weapon's name on the mortgage? If not, then she could be lodging there. Pays you a rent each month and shares food + bills.

weapon69

I enquired about this and they wouldn't buy it.

fast bloke

Not fraud if she actually pays rent


What about extended family? Could they help out a couple of days and then pay a childminder a couple of days.

Another alternatives is shiftwork, so you can share childminding between you.

Mice_Elf

Then technically, Weapon doesn't live there..... So she can rent off you.

weapon69

I already do pay rent!!!!

No extended family on my side, no family at all in fact. Its a total pain, that i wish id thought about, ooh about 8months ago

weapon69

Well as of now, I'm the lodger

Ringpeas

We are in the same position as you weapon69. I earn just too much for my wife to claim childcare costs. It is a right pain for her, as she would only earn minimum wage.
She has managed to get some money by working form home, but it is hard work and not reliable.
Never mind, the toddler will be in school in two more years

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

Back on subject, cost isn't the deciding factor in choosing childcare, its whether you feel confident in leaving your child at a certain childminder/nursery that counts.

Standards are not the same from one place to the next.

Also, bear in mind that your decision to leave your child with professional minders at 4 months may change once your child is 4 months old, everybody's pre-parenthood perceptions on how family life pans out is usually a bit off the mark, it certainly was with us.

Good luck

BTW we pay £535 a month for a 3 day week at nursery, she started @ 6 months - she's 10 months old now

Good luck

Edit to say B20 has a point about the lodger scenario, basically its benefit fraud, not something I'd want on my mind 24/7. Also, even if W69's earnings only covers the childcare, IMO its healthy for both parents and child for mum to have a break from baby, not does baby intereact with other children of similar age on a regular basis, it gives mum a chance to interact with other adults too

weapon69

Jay m A- you must send your little 'un to a good nursery for that money

I haven't even had my baby yet and the costs make my eyes go He'll be 4 months old when my SMP runs out and then my only 'income' will be child benefit each week.........

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

Thats London prices for you, my previous post may suggest that we earn shedloads and are paying top whack, far from it - the nursery is the best one we found in our opinion - in terms of attitude of staff, experiece of staff, location and general appearance/cleanliness of the property (some were positively filthy). It wasn't the cheapest, but neither was it the most expensive. My partner and I went to 8 nurserys in the area before making the decision, its a fecking important one.

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

Apologies for my spelling, its never the best but I seem to be having a mare at the mo

yoza

Didnt read this thread......

My eyes are shut...

{closes eyes, and puts hands over ears.....}