new baby and benefits

MasterBell_2

Update,
Right sorry I havent been upto date on this 1 year on and finlay is now nearly 4 months old......
I come seeking help once again (this time I will try to contribute more also)

Question.
We are currently looking into childcare options, and are really struggling in knowing where to begin.

we cant decide on whether my partner goes back part-time or full time, we would like the baby to go to a child minder for a day or two and also my mother can assist for 2 days..

if anybody can offer any advice then thanks in advance........

xmaslolly76

I always opted for a childminder as i thought the care was more personal which i liked for such a small baby. The nurseries i looked at were very good but i didnt feel the babies got the one to one care that i would like. I find they are more flexible as well than nurseries my childminder will still have the kids if they have a slight sniffle where as a nursery will call and ask you to take them straight home plus if i need her to have them a little bit longer or an extra day she is more than happy to do it. She charges £4 per hour but has given me a set rate for the standard hrs so it saves me a little bit of money and i just pay the £4 for any extra hrs.

Again check with entitledto.com to see if you will get any help with the costs.

Yorkshire-Lady_3

Hello!
Many congratulations on the arrival of Finlay!

I am a childminder, and I think you will find we are very flexible.
I have looked after kiddies from 3 weeks onward, and the bond he and I have is lovely.
You will get up to 80% of the fees paid, depending on earnings, which goes a long way to helping.
I charge £3.50 an hour, and the only thing I ask parents to bring is spare clothes, nappies, wipes, and baby milk.
Everything else is included, toddler fees, trips out, craft supplies and all food.

Feel free to ask me anything else.

Sally

emlou2009

Ah, nice(?) to see some things never change - a year ago PBS was sniping at peoples posts, glad to see some consistency on the boards :rotfl:

In all seriousness, we cant decide for your OH whether she wants to work full time or not. For me, it wasnt an issue of how much I wanted to work, it was an issue of how long I wanted my LO to not be with family, so I went back 3 days a week, LO has 2 days with a CM and 1 daddy day. That way we get 1 day a week as a family still.

MasterBell_2

I like the sound of a daddy day,

what am i best looking ouut for in a childminder?
I will go on entiltledto now.

Im not asking anybody to make a decision for me just asking for advice, after all thats what I thought the whole point of this forum was?????

MasterBell_2

it says that we arent entitled to anything does this seem correct??? i mean in terms of assistance for childcare?

Curlywurli

You need to work out if your girlfriend could afford to work part time and pay a childminder. I work part time and don't pay anything for childcare because my parents look after my children. If I had to pay child care I would have to work full time, which after the cost of that would leave me with the same wage that I earn part time. It's crazy!

xmaslolly76

It would Depend on what you are both earning I earn on average about £18.5k a year and for two children they would pay pretty much all of the childcare costs for me but then i was a single mother at the time. But tax credits should be worked out on earnings not the fact you are couple. When i was with my ex husband and we had our daughter because he earned 25K + and i was on about 14k all we got was basic tax credits with no help for childcare.

I suppose you really need to work out if it is worth her going back to work part time as she may end up paying out all her wages in childcare :-)

Indie_Kid

Up until the age of 1 (I think?) babies just interact with adults. So, Finlay won't be missing out on anything important if you decided to send him to a child minder or your parents, instead of a nursery.

Teenie_D

MasterBell wrote: »

it says that we arent entitled to anything does this seem correct??? i mean in terms of assistance for childcare?

This is probably right enough. When I had to put my wee one in day care last year I was (embarrassed to say it now ) horrified to learn that we would receive no help with child care I just presumed that everyone received help but that's just the way it goes. What it did make us do was give us our "lightbulb moment" and it is really hard going at times but we manage.

I work 3 days a week and my wee one is in a nursery 2 1/2 days a week, my DH has her to himself on Friday afternoons and he really treasures this time with her.