To think new parents are complaining more these days about nursery costs

[NameChangedOct24]

….even though they get the funding much earlier?

previously it was 15 or 30 hours from 3 years old. Parents would be grateful of the discount, with sometimes confusion about why the hours were not ‘free’ in private nurseries, top up fees and term time only stretched etc. I remember my monthly fee dropping from £1900 to £1400 from the 30hr funding and being happy with the saving.

recently though, working parents get some funding much earlier, which is great but they think it’s shocking that they still have to pay for childcare, on here and in real life. Eg colleague complains about it being only 15 hours, can’t afford to put them in 3+ days a week so need to wfh with toddler at feet. Aibu my colleagues don’t appreciate the better deal they have compared to a few years ago!?

Nursery fees have been a source of complaint for years and years. Well before I had mine I remember colleagues feeling poor that were earning more because they were shelling out the fees.

When I started, fees were £60 a day. When I finished they were £85. They are now closer to £100. Wages other than minimum wage haven’t really been rising during that time so people probably will be feeling the pinch as Nursey fee inflation feels more than wage inflation for the majority.

YABU I don't pay childcare anymore and I hardly got any free in my day but I don't think parents today have it better, for one all the bills have gone up. Nursery might have more free hours but mortgage, rent, food, utilities, nappies all sky high cost so it makes a difference. We should ALL be up in arms at the cost of nursery because seeing it as a niche problem is what has led us to having some of the most expensive childcare in the world

Or just paid the full fees as I did with my eldest kids

Est to spread kids out a bit more then. I did that over 30 years ago so wouldn't have 2 lots of nursery together.

What hasn't helped with it all is the over regulation. When we were small my mum paid a few quid to her friend to look after us while she worked.. And people used to look after each other's kids on opposite shifts. Then came all these rules and regs. Remember something about if a grandparent was being paid to look after grandkids they would have to register as a child miner ) don't know if that's still in force)

I think there are a few factors at play.

First, politicians over promise and under deliver. They've created an expectation that they will provide free nursery care, and people are disappointed when the reality doesn't match the promise.

Second, the minimum wage has gone up a lot more than inflation. This is, of course, a good thing, but it means that staffing costs for nurseries have also gone up more than inflation. Since staffing ratios are set by law, there's nothing that they can do to work more efficiently to reduce costs in the way that other businesses would be able to (and would you want them to?) So the increase in cost has to be passed on.

Third, other costs have also gone up. Insurance and premises being the most obvious.

The UK has the second most expensive childcare IN THE WORLD.

That is all

But it was artificially low for about 15 years. Anyone doing a bit of research especially since Brexit & the pandemic could have figured out that was about to change.

This an utterly moronic comment.
Rules and regulations are rightly applied on childcare settings where they are trusted to care for children.
There is nothing “over regulation” about it. Which regulations and “red tape” should go first?
DBS checks?
Maximum ratios?
Food hygiene and safety checks?
Health and safety measures?

How on earth was childcare artificially low?

I was meaning more the fact that grandparents needing to register as childminders etc ( if paid) and parents getting into trouble for friends looking after their kids.

And has all this regulation actually made things any better?

This is completely unrealistic.

Also - given childcare was already at record-breaking levels, no I dont think it’s realistic for parents to ‘foresee’ their fees might go up 20-30% in a couple of years.

It is also not realistic to expect people to predict the government will increase minimum wage and NI contributions thus making your future nursery costs higher.

Economists can’t predict this stuff accurately, you can’t expect ordinary members of the public to.

And even then - what’s the decision making for that person if they foresee this? ‘Oh yes I’ve decided I’m not having a child as it’s possible we will see a minimum wage rise in 2025 which will make childcare too expensive for me’? ‘Ah yes we might have significant quantitative easing in 2020-21 as a result of a once-in-a-century global pandemic, the longer term impact of which will turn out to be a rapid period of inflation, let’s just leave having kids shall we darling’.

Nobody is getting in trouble for looking after their friends kids, nor do grandparents have to register as an childminder to look after grandchildren. So what over regulation are you actually talking about?
Utter nonsense.

Long term average inflation rate since '89 is 2.85%.

I do not believe a bit of research would have given the figures quoted below of 38%, 25% and 25%.

Even the much moaned about inflation before I was born was around 13%. The one all the older people tell me was the worst inflation ever and I shoukd base all my decisions on it as it could happen again.

So even if I predicted brexit and a pandemic and Ukraine would increase inflation to those levels. I would have only gone with around 15%.

You are clearly much better at predicting things than me. So please let me know what my mortgage renewal rate will be in June 26.

Bit crab bucket mentality here @NameChangedOct24?

We get the funded hours for our 2 year old which is £75 a day, but we’re just paying what we were when we originally signed him up back in 2023 which was £60 a day.

Everything else has gone up as well though with the cost of living, so we don’t feel any better off tbh, that saving is just absorbed into mortgage/heating/food bills which have increased massively.

Parents are complaining more because the costs are more, even with free hours, and it's harder to pay considering the cost of everything else has almost doubled! I'm very grateful my child is now in school.

She is correct that in some circumstances it's illegal for a friend to look after your child if they receive any "benefit" for doing so- for example, if you look after their child in return. I know it's bonkers. There's an exception for relatives.

https://www.madeformums.com/toddler-and-preschool/could-your-childcare-arrangements-be-breaking-the-law/

Classic seeing one tiny issue in isolation post. Not everyone gets the funding and nursery costs are through compared to when my DC went (12 & 9). Plus everything else is significantly more expensive and income hasn’t accelerant at the same rate.

Yes, the insistence that this was all easily predictable from people who never had to predict it is batshit.

They have a rite to moan? No? For me for full time it's over 700pound with funding and then to go up to 800 cause of NI. I don't get tax free childcare thou.

Having children is a choice and then parents have the nerve to complain that the taxpayer doesn't pay enough towards looking after their child.

Just because you had it worse doesn't mean they have to put up with it though.

Why shouldn't things change?

How bitter of you.

Why should the tax payer pay? The parents should pay. But 20000 a year full time without funding can be a bit excessive. I got told my daughter nursery made a 1million profit last year from a single branch. They have stopped half days so need to pay full days and also are putting the NI charge into prices. So yeah I think they have a rite to moan. Most nurseries know parents need to work so will take all they can get off you.

Quote myself

Parents are taxpayers, raising the taxpayers of the future, you twisted fool.

£6000.00 in 2001
£20000+ in 2024
This is the issue we have