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Paid childcare

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

Original poster

Why do people complain about childcare costs?

453 replies

Teawithsugar40 · 08/01/2022 12:49

I’m a working mother and 65% (was previously near 100%) of my salary goes on childcare, we get by but holidays etc are out of the question. We’re not rich and have small children, it’s just how it is. I don’t resent what we pay and feel quite lucky that we’re a few hundred better off than if I was doing the equally important job of caring for my children full time.
Maybe because when I had my first child there was absolutely no childcare help and scant provision but I really don’t understand so many people these days complaining about childcare costs, especially when it still leaves them better off working? Totally understand single parents needing help and thankfully they have had generous help for years but why are couples who are definitely not on the breadline complaining? Did they seriously think they could have children without making any sacrifices and why do they expect people often worse off them themselves to pay for maintaining their previous lifestyle?

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Original poster
Teawithsugar40 · 08/01/2022 16:27

@Simonjt

Sorry, should be got 0, the 15 hours is fairly new, plus those 15 hours are rarely free.
They are not that new, was receiving 12.5 hours in the 90s and has been 15 hours for years, 30 for working parents!
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RoyalFamilyFan · 08/01/2022 16:27

I would be happy to have properly funded childcare for those on benefits. And to see major subsidising of SN childcare, especially for complex needs.
But I don't care if you paying childcare means you cant afford a holiday.

Simonjt · 08/01/2022 16:30

@Teawithsugar40 the 15 free hours have only been in place since 2010, 12 years really isn’t a very long time. The additional hours making it 30 are also not available to all parents, it wasn’t available to me.

kokoalemon · 08/01/2022 16:30

@Teawithsugar40
It is not an essential.
If a couple can’t afford the basics either from one salary or from both working part time then they should receive help to spend on the basics or childcare, whichever they prefer

Childcare is as much an essential for parents as many other utilities. You can’t work if someone is not looking after your child. Whether you look after your child or someone else is paid to do it, there is a cost - a very high cost, either in fees and/or foregone salary. Relative to all other essential costs it is probably the highest for parents.

So back to the opener, people complain because it is so expensive. You would have to be a high earner for it not to impact significantly, compared to other essential costs.

chessycurls · 08/01/2022 16:30

as a pretty good idea about 130 years ago but subsidising middle class parents holidays not so much

How do you deduce that all mc families are spending childcare money on holidays?

The 30 hours is to keep more women in work, remember it doesn't start until after they are 3. So for a year the subsidy in the most expensive parts is approx 7k. Someone who decides to stay in work for a few yrs until the free hours & earns 30k is contributing 6k a year in tax anyway.

chessycurls · 08/01/2022 16:31

@Teawithsugar40 the 30 hours are not universal

glitterelf · 08/01/2022 16:33

@RoyalFamilyFan

Parents already get up to 30 hours childcare.
Which is massively underfunded meaning that the unfunded fees have had to increase to cover the loss from the underfunding and the increase in the NMW. Many childcare settings are struggling to operate and close to having to close.
chessycurls · 08/01/2022 16:33

We need to be incentivising people to have more dc as the current birth rate is far too low. We are going to need higher taxes & immigration to fund all the pensioners, are you happy to spend your money on that?

Original poster
Teawithsugar40 · 08/01/2022 16:34

@Changechangychange

A full time nursery place is about £1500 per month around here. People complain because that is quite a lot of money! More than many people’s mortgages. Enough money that it stops people having a second until the first one starts school, because they really can’t fund £3k a month on childcare. It is not about “expecting worse off people to find them”, how goady to suggest it.

If you can afford £1500 on a mortgage, £3k in childcare fees, plus a couple of hundred pounds a month on bills, train fares etc, all quite comfortably, that is great for you. Most people, even on good salaries, can’t.

No we couldn’t so if really wanted 2 kids that close together one of us would stay at home or we’d work part time if we both super keen to continue working.
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Original poster
Teawithsugar40 · 08/01/2022 16:35

@chessycurls

We need to be incentivising people to have more dc as the current birth rate is far too low. We are going to need higher taxes & immigration to fund all the pensioners, are you happy to spend your money on that?
No not really, happy to support families per se, child benefit etc but just don’t think billions on childcare is the best investment in our society
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Hotyogahotchoc · 08/01/2022 16:36

People complain about all sorts of things after having children. No sleep, no free time, a traumatic birth, generally having to look after them. I think it's ridiculous as I think people should expect these things but I wouldn't necessarily expect them to know how much childcare costs.

Childcare costs and assistance can change but the lack of sleep and complete change in your life does not.

But I don't see how parents complaining about all these other things is so much more objectionable than them complaining about all the other things that come with motherhood.

MondayYogurt · 08/01/2022 16:36

People complain. It's what we do. Why we do it, possibly to make ourselves feel better.

If childcare in other countries (Nordics) wasn't so cheap as a comparison maybe we wouldn't complain but it's the same way Americans complain about having to pay for medicinal care. You can see other people not doing it and it creates an envy.

2under2howscary · 08/01/2022 16:39

Childcare for my 1 year old is £767 a month, and I only earn £817. That's for 3 days nursery and working 3 days part time.

I don't complain as I knew it was expensive - but I can completely understand why people do complain!!

Original poster
Teawithsugar40 · 08/01/2022 16:39

@chessycurls

as a pretty good idea about 130 years ago but subsidising middle class parents holidays not so much

How do you deduce that all mc families are spending childcare money on holidays?

The 30 hours is to keep more women in work, remember it doesn't start until after they are 3. So for a year the subsidy in the most expensive parts is approx 7k. Someone who decides to stay in work for a few yrs until the free hours & earns 30k is contributing 6k a year in tax anyway.

It’s goes into one big pot which often a family holiday comes out of. The 30 years for 3 year olds has been around for several years. I’m talking about couples complaining even despite all this support
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BigFatLiar · 08/01/2022 16:41

Why do people complain about childcare costs?

You're allowed to complain about anything really. Not enough red smarties in a tube, too much chocolate on the chocolate peanuts.

TerraNovaTwo · 08/01/2022 16:42

Why isn't the father contributing to childcare costs? It shouldn't be solely up to you to fork out 65% of your wages pm.

Simonjt · 08/01/2022 16:42

No not really, happy to support families per se, child benefit etc but just don’t think billions on childcare is the best investment in our society

How do you propose outcomes for children in the UK are improved? How do you think child poverty should be solved in the UK?

Shehasadiamondinthesky · 08/01/2022 16:44

Childcare costs are horrific. When my DS was with a full time childminder in the school holidays it was £100 a week and I used to freak about that.
Now there is no way I'd consider having children if I was young enough to still have them.

Shehasadiamondinthesky · 08/01/2022 16:45

I think if the population is declining to the extent that is given state nurseries and subsidies will have to be commonplace in the future.

Original poster
Teawithsugar40 · 08/01/2022 16:46

@MondayYogurt

People complain. It's what we do. Why we do it, possibly to make ourselves feel better.

If childcare in other countries (Nordics) wasn't so cheap as a comparison maybe we wouldn't complain but it's the same way Americans complain about having to pay for medicinal care. You can see other people not doing it and it creates an envy.

You see I feel really sorry for Americans as medical care totally different kettle if fish to childcare. Miserable enough being ill or injured without a wracking great bill which if doesn’t bankrupt you might wipeout your life savings. You get heavily subsidised childcare here if you have the misfortune to be poor but otherwise if your 2 parents just wanting to both be at work while your little one is tiny then is just something have to pay for as not really fair asking everyone else to give more than the subsidies already given
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RoyalFamilyFan · 08/01/2022 16:46

@Simonjt you provide Sure Start centres and similar. Middle class families having subsidised childcare does nothing for children's outcomes. Sure Start and early intervention does.

RoyalFamilyFan · 08/01/2022 16:47

@Shehasadiamondinthesky

I think if the population is declining to the extent that is given state nurseries and subsidies will have to be commonplace in the future.
Easy solution is immigration.
chessycurls · 08/01/2022 16:49

Easy solution is immigration.
It's really not as simple as that or are you going to just take people from other countries by force?

Theunamedcat · 08/01/2022 16:49

"We" you used that in your op implies your part of a couple do you not see how unsustainable losing 65/100 % of your wages is to a single parent?

Simonjt · 08/01/2022 16:50

[quote RoyalFamilyFan]@Simonjt you provide Sure Start centres and similar. Middle class families having subsidised childcare does nothing for children's outcomes. Sure Start and early intervention does.[/quote]
How does that have any impact on child poverty? How do the children of working parents access sure start centres? Even when they were a thing they were generally 9-3.