Working mums: childcare advice

[fizz13]

Hi there,
i am desperate to get out to work but not sure how to go about it. At the moment my two oldest, 7 and 5, are in school. My youngest is due to start nursery in September but obvioulsy half days. My question is, what do all of you do to cover childcare for after school, school holidays etc. and how much funding is available?
Any advice you can give me would be most welcome. Also chicken and egg syndrome: do I find the childcare then look for a job or vice versa? the summer holidays are looming, help!!

 

[natalielongstaff]

hi

a lot of schools now do before/after school clubs as well as playschemes, so that may be worth looking into.

i know as a childminder i prefer the parents to have a job before i keep a place open (or i would charge some kind of retainer )
please pm me anytime if you want more info x x x

 

[wilma-bride]

Claire, being a working Mum can be really hard. Daniel has been in the care of a nursery or childminder since he was 6 months old but it's only recently that I have been able to reduce my hours to fit in around school, which will be handy when he starts in September.

If your little one starts nursery soon, I am assuming he will get the free funded place? If so, you may find that the nursery will be able to accommodate him longer hours and you will just pay for the extra hours he does. I am luck in that I work 9 till 3 so when Daniel starts school in September, I won't need extra child care but, if I did, I would probably be looking for a childminder who could collect him after school and keep him till I got home. Something similar may be the best option for you.

If I were you, I would start looking around for a job and worry about childcare afterwards. There is nothing to stop you from getting a list of registered childminders from your local council and having a ring round to see who has vacancies.

In terms of other help, depending on how many hours a week you work and how much you earn, you may be entitled to WFTC (Working Families Tax Credit) - you would need to be careful about declaring the income you get from your lodger though. We are not entitled to WFTC but the amount we pay for childcare is taken into consideration when working out our Child tax Credit.

 

[CustardTart]

I had a fabulous child minder when my eldest two were very little and I was a full-time nurse. I saw a few in the area and she was brilliant - we just clicked. She took them to/picked them up from playgroups - and school as they got older. She also looked after them throughout the school hols. It wasn't a cheap option but I really appreciated the high quality of care. Later, when I had my 3rd child, I employed an au pair and she took the baby to playgroup/nursery. I worked part-time and picked him up. Nowhere near as good a solution IMO as having a trained registered childminder...

My big kids (DD24 and DS22) still remember their old childminder very fondly...

 

[natalielongstaff]

I had a fabulous child minder when my eldest two were very little and I was a full-time nurse. I saw a few in the area and she was brilliant - we just clicked. She took them to/picked them up from playgroups - and school as they got older. She also looked after them throughout the school hols. It wasn't a cheap option but I really appreciated the high quality of care. Later, when I had my 3rd child, I employed an au pair and she took the baby to playgroup/nursery. I worked part-time and picked him up. Nowhere near as good a solution IMO as having a trained registered childminder...

My big kids (DD24 and DS22) still remember their old childminder very fondly...

thats a lovely story please DO CHECK references for whoever you decide, i believe you know when you have found the right person

 

[hildasmuriel]

Another solution is to do what I did - get a job at the school.
The upside is that you never need childcare - when school's out - you're out.

The obvious downside is that the wages are AWFUL - if you've been used to a proper salary then you will be aghast at how little the pay is. I just keep telling myself it's not for ever - in ten years or so I can leave and get something else.

 

[mark&sue]

We used our childminder both in the morning before school and after school. It was too expensive during school holidays and we used the local authority play schemes.

You may be able to check them all out on your local council's website.

My childminder had three of her own children at Kirsty's school so she always had to go to the school. I used a different childminder on a tuesday just to give me a back up in case my main one went on holiday.

It worked well but am glad that I don't need them now Kirsty goes to secondary school.

Good luck as I know how stressful the sorting out of childcare is.


Susan

 

[angel659]

Hi Claire

It all depends I feel on what you are looking to do i.e what and where do you want to work. What are the hours etc. Personally if you are determined to go back to work then I would still look around nurseries and child minders. I would hate to find a job and have a mad rush of seeing lots of places. I saw lots of different nurseries and child minders before I started. Then had an idea of who and where my children would go. We chose the onsite hospitals nursery. Not only for location, but we loved the place. All staff were friendly and didnt walk around like they were spaced out or something We felt a nursery was a better place for our kids rather than a childminder for personal reasons. I would look at both and see what makes you comfortable.

You can apply for working tax credit. I dont know how much we get. We do get a fair bit back on our child care. Speak to Bruce on Sunday he deals with that. Also perhaps phone the Revenue and they might be able to give you some figures on what salary you might be earning.

Good luck