Mothers help/au pair - cheap childcare?

[Quitelikely]

Hi

I hope my title doesn't offend. But the truth is my husband works and I have been staying home with the children. Childcare costs for three of them are 20k per year. My salary after tax would just cover the fees.

I have been looking at options so that I can afford work and I'm wondering if a mothers help would be suitable. However she would be looking after the children for around 35 hrs per week. One would be at nursery 12.5 hours and one at school. The other is just one year old.

Is it appropriate for a help to do this?

Thank you

A mother's help doesn't generally do sole charge childcare, you're thinking of a nanny. A MH is there to assist the parent rather than replace them - so do some laundry and cleaning, assist with tea/bath/bed, take a baby for a walk while mum catches up on sleep, looking after children while you do some work upstairs.

An au pair lives with you and helps out with childcare and housework for up to 25 hours a week, while also having the opportunity to attend English classes. They don't generally have sole charge of pre-school children or babies.

As Science says, a mother's help is not really for sole charge, they are there to help the parent. You need a nanny. For 35 hours a week of childcare you could probably end up paying the same if not less for childcare with a nanny I think?

APs are not recommended for under 3's and I don't understand why anybody would want to leave a young foreign person in charge of a 1yo. If you went for a trained childcare professional from abroad you have a good chance of them leaving as soon as something better came along.

I don't know what a mother's help is. You need a nanny or a nursery I'd say. A nanny share maybe?

Au pair is totally unsuitable for that age of children.

Could you put the youngest in nursery/childminder and use an au pair for the older two? That would be cheaper, but not involve an au pair caring for a baby.