Childcare dillemma/costs

gailey_2

Hi

thinking going back uni as mature student.

but have 3 kids

1 in school
a todler who gets her 15hours funding jan 2013
nearly 1year old.

dont get tax credits for childcare as only hubby works

we have been doing nursery vouchers through hubbies work which saves us a little as toddler does 1full day nursery.

1st year uni just 2days so hubby could take 1 day off and toddler and baby do nursery one day.
eldests school has brekkie club £2.50 a day and after school club £7.50 so £40 a month for her as hubby would take 1 day off.

but gvets complucated at placement

1st year

30days

2nd year/3rd year 80days 37.5hour weeks!

dont know what options to pick?

the uni has nursey at different campus and limited places.
current nursery toddler goes to is £40 a day
or is childminder best option as could pick up eldest but might be hard for cm to take on 3!

A mum at schools a childminer think she might accept 1-2 of them on temporary basis.

uni finance mentioned 2 schemes

childcare learning grant
parents learning allowance?

anyone had these and know what criteria is?

guessings its low earning/single mums.

im married and hubby earns 38k gross which counds good but by time rents paid, bills, car nothing left its already tight.
im sahm right now and want to go back to work when kids in school as toddler starts 2014 and baby 2015. if went 2012 would graduate 2015/16.

i can get bursery and maybe maintainace loan as woiuld be 2nd degree but that would just fund £9000 fees!:eek:

estimate childcare cost me least £400 a month when not on placement.

the 3months I am on placement would be 600-700!

practically whats it like studying balancing childcare and kids?

it seems like a huge stumbling block for me right now.

Racheldevon

It might be worth contacting your local councils Early Years team to explore any local schemes/systems etc in place that might be of benefit to you

charlie1973

I studied with 3 children, on a part time course. It was a few years back, and our financial situation is very different to you, so i can offer no advice there. However for it to work you need full support off your dh, is he realy willing to take 1 day off a week? as a sahm childcare was my priority. I had to sort all that out, and i couldnt fall back on dh.

when i had course work or study due, we had an agreement, that he would leave work promptly and on weekend he would take control. We had a few arguements over that!! (I still remember the largest, and it was awful!)

our youngest went into the creche on site, (monday - thursday the first year) which was a godsend, it was much cheaper than private nurserys and we also used the voucher scheme through dh's work to pay for it. it also meant if i had lectures cancelled etc i used to go into the library and use that time, as i knew the children were sorted. i had to pay for 4 full days in the creche even though on paper we only needed 2 1/2 days childcare. (that other time i did my tesco shop .. lol!! and studied in the library, so i took the miniumum work home) my other 2, i used a local childminder, who was a total treasure.

work experience was hard work, thankfully i drive, but it was the other end of town to my campus, so i had to do childminder drop off (earlier than normal) then the creche, and then ferry myself across town. I was exhausted getting home, and work experience made me realise how hard juggling a full time job would be as dh works long hours and is away a lot. I also needed the 5th day, which my child minder could do, but the creche couldnt, so i had to call a few favours with my mil.

If you are in debt already, I am not so sure i would encourage taking on another loan? Could you maybe defer going back to uni, until your middle child is in full time education, so you then only have to think about your youngest, and your finances may be a little better.

marywooyeah

gailey wrote: »

uni finance mentioned 2 schemes

childcare learning grant
parents learning allowance?

anyone had these and know what criteria is?

guessings its low earning/single mums.

practically whats it like studying balancing childcare and kids?

I am a mature law student and have a 3 year old son who was 15 months when I started. Up until Feb in my 2nd year I worked aswell so got tax credits to help with childcare, then applied for the childcare grant. My husband is on 20k, so its not just for "low income single mums" you would be able to apply for it and the parents learning allowance for me was £1508 per year in addition to my loans, but as were were both working my loans were somewhat less than that of my peers so you'd need to consider this too.

The grant works by compiling a CCG1 form with your estimated childcare costs, you'd be awarded an amount per term paid in a lump sum then fill in a CCG2 to give the actual costs. Any discrepancies between the estimates and actual amounts will result in a recalculation of your entitlement. My childcare grants have always been delayed and don't cover all of the fees, so since september I have paid out over £1000 of my own money for childcare on top of the grants - you'd also need to consider this yourself.

Practically, being at uni with a child is very difficult. I've done 2 years and am on placement this year and throughout my degree I have been up at 6:30am getting my son ready for nursery, going to uni in the morning and working the afternoons and weekends. Any gaps between lessons are spend doing coursework or seminar preparation and I arrived home around 7pm each night, cooked dinner for everyone and put my son to bed before returning to do my uni work from anywhere between 9pm to sometimes as late as 1am. It's very very tiring and I can't remember the last tme I got a decent nights sleep - even on placement I am required to do work for uni. If I had 3 kids I personally would not even consider doing a degree.

you mention this is your second degree - may I ask why you wish to return to uni?

gailey_2

Thanks for input guys.

did 1st degree in business and finance then after uni did retail management which was unworkable with kids tried it when eldest was baby she did fulltime nursery and i was working 50+hours aweek.
because I have kids looking for possible career than pays well so worth going back to work and paying childcare costs and something I enjoy or will just end up cashier if that on min wage.
Im only early 30,s so thinking not too late to change careers.

I have very little debt as paid off most of it.
but hubby has large loan and creditcards.
I dont work right now so just child benefot and £10 a week child tax credit a week think I lose that in april!

Also read bursery funding may change next year so worried if dont start now will be screwed as alredy stung by the new 9000 fees!

if I can get even small help with childcare costs then its doable.
im more worried about when im on placement the 2days im in uni is fine.
hubbys fully supportive and wants me to go for it.

I did initally want to go part time but was told people start full time then can go part time in later years.

Not expecting it to be easy.

we already cut back lots and quite frugal.

if get some childcare costs then no worse off than I am now.

toddler loves nursery so no worries about her doing extra hours.
eldests school very good.
theres a few childminders who do my school locally.
if worst comes to worst have good freinds but no family locally.

nimbo

Childcare Grant

The amount you'll receive

The Childcare Grant could cover as much as 85 per cent of your childcare costs during term time and holidays. If you’re eligible, the amount you may get will depend on:

• your household income
• the cost of your childcare
• the number of children you have

This could be up to £148.75 per week if you have one child, or £255 per week if you have two or more children.
What childcare qualifies for the grant

If you're living and studying in England, you can apply for the Childcare Grant if you use childcare that is registered or approved with Ofsted or the Commission for Social Care Inspection.
How to apply

You can apply for the Childcare Grant by completing a Childcare Grant application form (CCG1). If you state on your student finance application that you want to apply for a Childcare Grant you’ll be sent a copy of the form.
On your Childcare Grant application form you give an estimate of your childcare costs for the full academic year. Each term Student Finance England sends you a childcare costs confirmation form (CCG2) so you can confirm what your actual childcare costs were. This needs to be signed by your childcare provider.
You’ll also need to submit evidence of child dependants and financial commitments along with your Childcare Grant application (see below for details).
If you started your course in September 2011 and haven't yet applied for the Childcare Grant please complete a CCG1 and a CCG2. The CCG2 needs to be completed by your childcare provider with your actual costs for the first term.
If you've already applied for a childcare grant by completing a CCG1 you'll get your CCG2 in the post.
The Childcare Costs Confirmation form for 2012/13 will be available in October 2012.

taken from direct gov here: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/Typesoffinance/DG_171503

it looks like you might get up to £255 per week.
there'll be nuances etc, but it's positive.

nimbo

is it worth looking at the masters? it's only 2 years full time, and at alot of unis you can do it part time....

also not all social work degrees require a placement in the first year - of the 5 i applied to only one of them did. - i realise that would only be postponing the need to arrange full time childcare - but it would give you basically 24 months from now.

also our uni said we would be in 2 days a week full days Tuesday, and we start late on a Thursday and then get to go at 1.15 (we only have one lecture that day) and then there is the odd two hours here and there for classroom based tests etc... but if the schedule were similar then there may be less issues regarding childcare for the half day.

also have you already applied as standard applications have already gone in, and there are no guarantees that there would be any places through UCAS clearing...

have tried twice through clearing (last 2010/11 and 2006/07) and both years there were none for Social work (i was relatively prescriptive area wise 2006/07) -although i could have been a midwife 2010/11... it might be different this year with the fee hike but social work has been really competitive to get onto from what i hear...

marywooyeah

sorry I must have missed where you said you wanted to do social work - it is very competitive trying to get work placements (unlless the uni has a scheme to assist you) and also social workers get a lot of abuse from clients so theres a lot to consider there. a few students at my uni had to change onto straight law as they couldnt get placements.

sounds like an uphill challenge but i wish you luck op x