Second child at CM help

[daisydee43]

Hi dd1 is nearly two and am thinking of trying for second child later this year but I'm struggling with the maths - I work 3 days week (work covers childcare plus abt £20 a day extra lol) and dd at CM (that's full days cos her half days are 4hrs) - half childcare paid by tax credits so I imagine that would increase with no 2? Anyway dd1 will be at nursery next year but still would need CM - have got patents to fall back on but rather not rely on them - Ahh headache, dh thinks waiting until end of next year will be too much of a gap?

You can do an online tax credits calculator and/or call them for estimated amounts. Last time I googled to see if it was plausible for a second, the tax credits didn't even double, even though the Childcare cost obviously did. This is a big thing for me and though there are other reasons, the main to stay at 1 DD for now is financial.

If the nursery is more expensive than the CM, then stay at the CM. Both follow the same curriculum and the CM can usually offer the 15 funded hours. Do you get 2 yr old funding at the moment? You might be able to.

Hi don't get funding until 3 as you have to have special circumstances to get it at 2

If you currently get Working Tax Credit and get the childcare element of it for approved childcare (70% of £175 = £122.50) then with 2 children that increases to 70% of £300 = £210. So if your childcare cost was £300 a week or more, then you would get £210 of help towards that childcare cost.

dd1 will be at nursery next year but still would need CM

Talk to your childminder about what your costs will be once DD1 is at nursery. By nursery you may mean pre-school education which from the term following the child's 3rd birthday is funded (though there may be additional charges, such as for lunchtime) but your childminder may not be able to take on another child during that time, so your childminder may still charge.

Does anyone else get 70% help though? Only the poorest...

Yes CM would still charge and would only give a £10 a day discount for 2 - currently pay £80 week childcare and get £40 wk tax credits so not quite 70%

HMRC: WTC2.pdf - Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit are different things, this explains the difference. No idea how they work out what percentage of childcare element of working tax credit someone gets.

Surprised CM gives any discount for a sibling, as it is using up another childcare place.

Most of the CMs I have spoken to offer a 10% discount. Is it unusual? Mines no where near 70% couldn't tell you what it is... 165 towards 720 a month. Next year nothing.