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Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Original poster

Random musings about the cost of childcare

35 replies

islandofsodor · 25/07/2007 21:42

I have to admit that I always assumed that a childminder was a cheaper childcare option than a nursery. I chose nursery myself for various reasons but I've just been looking at my bill and am quite surprised.

A childminder charging £3.50 per hour (is that an average rate) would be just 75p per day cheaper than my ds's nursery. That includes all food and any days out etc.

Do you think that childminders have become more expensive or that nurseries have become cheaper and what impact has this had on childcare providers?

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ChasingSquirrels · 25/07/2007 21:57

From talking to people, vacancies maybe harder to fill because more and more cm's are training, without maybe finding out if they are needed. I know people who signed up to the courses to find out the 2 other people in their area were on the course. And on completing the course they found out that existing cm's couldn't fill their vacancies anyway. I guess that depends on the area. Presumably a glut of cm's would lower to price to an extent?

ChasingSquirrels · 25/07/2007 21:54

Presumably day care nurseries are a relatively new thing, and now that many more parents have to work, childcare has become more important to us. Thereby pushing up the cost of a CM as they now maybe percieved to be offering a more rated service. So not necessarily a case of one changing because of the other, but both changing (nurseries existing, CM's becoming more expensive) because of social circumstances.

hatrickjacqueline · 25/07/2007 21:53

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Original poster
islandofsodor · 25/07/2007 21:53

This is NOT meant to be a CM v nursery thread.

It is meant to be a thread on the impact that the increased use of nurseries/cheaper nurseries has on CM's, are vacancies harder to fill etc as I often see on here and other forums more and more CM's training then struggling to fill spaces.

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Original poster
islandofsodor · 25/07/2007 21:51

C the A

Our nursery offers full half or shortened days too and is inside the school dd attends which is a big reason I chose it. I can see how some childminders could be far more flexible than some nurseries though. Some are way too rigid.

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fifilou · 25/07/2007 21:51

childminders are a much betterchildcare arrangement than nurseries IMO.

Nannies cost a packet!

granarybeck · 25/07/2007 21:51

Chilminders in my area are more 5 pounds per hour per child

CristinaTheAstonishing · 25/07/2007 21:50

Oh great, a thread of CM vs nursery. Count me out tonight.

ChasingSquirrels · 25/07/2007 21:49

Personally I think the overwhelming benefit of a CM is that they AREN'T a nursery. My CM is as expensive as local nurseries.

CristinaTheAstonishing · 25/07/2007 21:47

I think the overwhleming benefit of CMs would be that they can do shorter days (which is why they could work out cheaper)and things like pick-ups and drop-offs. Never used CM for my two, only nurseries.