Day nursery fees

heuchera

tomtontom wrote: »

In many cases it is not the parent that pays, it's the state in the form of tax credits.

Yes, state handouts may help towards it but wouldn't pay anything like the whole cost.

Child tax credit claimants get £545 per year as a flat payment, plus £2,780 per child .

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-33224896

So roughly £3k.. 3 months childcare?

duchy

Nurseries vary in costs.....and hours so the length of time covered will vary too.

Most don't open Saturdays, Sundays or bank holidays. In fact I know of only one that does(or did) and that was much more expensive.

With employers wanting employees to have flexibility nursery isnt a total solution for many working parents.

SmlSave

heuchera wrote: »

Some parents jobs involve working bank holidays, so presumably the nursery is actually open on those days?


Can't understand how it's feasible to pay £53 per child per day or £1000 per month for childcare unless you're on a VERY high wage, to be honest.

Depends on what you view as a high wage.?

They get free hours when they turn 3 so that helps.

It's a balance that you have to decide, either you work and most/all your wage goes into childcare (assuming you have that choice) or you leave work and return when your children are older - running the risk that your work experience is no longer worth what it was.

onlyroz

heuchera wrote: »

Can't understand how it's feasible to pay £53 per child per day or £1000 per month for childcare unless you're on a VERY high wage, to be honest.

Yes childcare is expensive, however you only need it full time for four years. The alternative is giving up your career totally for that time, missing out on promotions and pay rises, and possibly returning to a lower position. For many, the cost is worthwhile.

PoorCharleyBear

sjlbates wrote: »

wow, astounding how nurseries can get away with this! They may be running a business but why should us parents be charged for a service that they are not providing on that particular day, most businesses won't charge or am i misinformed? They could factor that in their fees or give us a day in lieu..

I'm guessing your employer pays you for good friday and easter monday even though you are not there? Yet you are not doing any work for them?

gayleygoo

That seems to be the norm. SIL had her toddler in nursery two days a week, and had to arrange extra childcare for every bank holiday that she had to work. She pays per day, I don't think the yearly cost is divided by 52.

My sis works in a nursery, and from their point of view, "parents don't work bank holidays, so we don't need to be open" and "tax credits pays for childcare, so parents get the money anyway". Neither of these is true for my SIL, or indeed lots of parents!

The thing that annoys me most about the high fees is that they aren't passed on to staff. Sis gets paid 10p above minimum wage for her supervisor role, everyone else gets minimum wage. She is the only one over 22 as the rest are just-out-of-a-levels and are cheaper to pay. The staff do not get paid for training days or evenings, even though they have to attend, or on snow days/other exceptional closures, even if they managed to get to work in the morning. The nursery owner goes on expensive holidays several times a year, drives a flashy car, and owns several homes. My sis, on her full-time wage, can't afford to move out of our parents house.

To me, it doesn't sound like this nursery *needs* to charge parents for bank holidays to cover their staff costs.

peachyprice

heuchera wrote: »

Some parents jobs involve working bank holidays, so presumably the nursery is actually open on those days?


Can't understand how it's feasible to pay £53 per child per day or £1000 per month for childcare unless you're on a VERY high wage, to be honest.

Some working mothers work just to pay for the childcare but look it as a future proofing exercise. To take 3 years out of the workplace can have a seriously detrimental effect on some careers so in the long term it's better to work for practically nothing but be sure of a career.

heuchera

peachyprice wrote: »

Some working mothers work just to pay for the childcare but look it as a future proofing exercise. To take 3 years out of the workplace can have a seriously detrimental effect on some careers so in the long term it's better to work for practically nothing but be sure of a career.

That is a shame, when having and bringing up a child is seen as detrimental to your career/lifestyle

I suppose it depends on your career. A relative of mine gets 1 year maternity leave and then reduced fees at the creche where she works. Hers is the kind of job where you've really got to 'keep your hand in', so to speak.

But if it's just an office/admin job or working on the till in a shop, a lot of women find it's better just to leave and have the baby.

onlyroz

heuchera wrote: »

That is a shame, when having and bringing up a child is seen as detrimental to your career/lifestyle

Is it seen a shame for the millions of men who maintain their careers after becoming fathers?

heuchera

onlyroz wrote: »

Is it seen a shame for the millions of men who maintain their careers after becoming fathers?

predictable response of the year.. :rotfl: