to think £5 an hour for a childminder in the suburbs is a bit steep?

[HidinginaHardHat]

We were interviewing several childminders today and the average price was around £5 per hour, i'm more used to paying around £3 an hour.

I appreciate they have to earn a living like the rest of us but when their hourly rate is nearly the same as mine is that really fair?

I probably am BU really aren't I.

Goinnowhere: Cms are not paid a wage! They are self employed and families / primary carers hire their services. You are not quite right in some of your assumptions. that is the polite version.

I know that too. It was just a turn of phrase. I am not assuming anything about the people I know. I know them.

Ah - i think i was getting confused with babysitting or one on one care - i see if its group that would be different. I think nursery must work out about £6 - £7 though so £5 does not seem too terrible for a CM. It is an important job.

I do think though that the cost of childcare in this country is far too high. Not that I htink CMs etc should be paid less but the government shouls subsidise it to allow women to work should they wish too. I can see how if you were on a low wage (and not even that low) it would not be worth going out to work if childcare is going to set you back a couple of hundred quid a week

Annie, it would be lovely if child care was tax deductable. Can't see the government going for that somehow. Also agree that the government is demanding something of CMs that most parents don't want. If I was looking for a CM, I'd want someone who was kind and who would play with my child and make nice food. The teaching etc is something I would do at home. I wouldn't want policies for every possible eventuality, just someone with some common sense and a kind disposition.

See it shows how much it varies. I like in a quite expensive place to live (housing costs) in the South. You could get any CM or nursery, even many with all areas of OFSTED at Outstanding with all nappies, food, sun cream and trips in and would never pay more than 3 or 3.50 per hour for it.

Also you wouldnt think 18 an hour is worth it for a main earner or it would be tough [faints]. Here many childcare workers are the main wage earner or earn as much as their husbands and the wage is 6 quid an hour with no hb paying mortgages!

I must admit, I didnt think the cm services were worth what she was charging so much so that we cut our hours and dont use one now.