Childcare after maternity leave

[Ginnymoo]

My partner and I have started discussing what will happen once my 'maternity leave' ends. I'm currently unemployed after leaving my NHS physio job (did not enjoy many aspects of NHS working) and my SMP ends August. I don't want to return to physio but I also don't know what I would do otherwise.
We have no childcare provided from family and my partner works full-time. If I do a part-time job then surely the wages don't cover childcare? I'd basically be paying to not see my baby? And taking nothing home for myself?
I just can't see how childcare works when working part-time?! My partner can't help towards this as he pays for the mortgage and bills (I'm very lucky).
If anyone has any advice it would be really appreciated!

You need to view childcare as a joint expense. You may get some uc help towards costs.

For the first couple of years childcare is a huge expense but from age 3 you will get 30hrs a week funded. If you take 3 years off you might struggle to get back to work? So see it as paying for 2 years to keep yourself more highly employable. If you prefer to give up work then discuss with your DP what your long term plan is. How many years of your career are you willing to sacrifice for your family? Or how many years of childcare are you willing to pay for to keep your career prospects?

Minimum wage is 10 odd pound an hour, childcare approx 5/6 pounds an hour, how is that all of your wages?

You need to sit down and do some proper calculations. Find out the average cost of a nursery or childminder and then compare this against the wage you think you ar r likely to get. I pay a childminder approx 40 per day and I earn around 120 per day so working does pay off for us. Given how close you are to the end of your mat pay, I would be exploring options asap.

I guess because you need childcare for longer hours than you work plus travel costs etc. Nurseries often cost more than a childminder. But the calculation is rarely as straightforward as that.

I just can't see how childcare works when working part-time?! My partner can't help towards this as he pays for the mortgage and bills (I'm very lucky)

Childcare should be a joint expense.
The mortgage should be a joint expense. The bills should be a joint expense.

i wouldn't consider you lucky that your partner is paying the mortgage unless both your names are on it. You're not married. This is a vulnerable position to put yourself in if your name isn't also on the house.

If you are working part time then how is that "paying to not see my child"? You'd have all the many other hours with your child.

You either want to work or you don't. At the moment, as soon as SMP ends you aren't bringing any money in. So breaking even on childcare for working is a long term benefit as the child will eventually go to school and you will eventually have payrises/career devlopment/a pension etc. So it's better financially in the long run.

And if you and your partner are unmarried, do you really want to leave yourself in a position where you are financially unable to leave him, should the need arise?

Like others have said, it's a joint expense.

Technically I'm actually PAYING £400 a month to go to work, as I have two children in nursery which costs substantially more than I earn. Every day I'm in work I'm losing money.

But it's temporary. I'm paying into my pension and I get to keep my job.

I didn't go back for a few years as it was a waste of money. I earnt £40k so after tax and student loan £2.5k a month, give or take some pension. Then take £500 for train ticket, £200 for station parking, I think nursery wanted £80 a day so that would have been say £1600 a month min so that's £2300 of my 2500 before I've even bought any work clothes to fit my post partum body or any online shopping or cleaner or anything to help with my stressful full time job around leaving my baby....
Fuck the patriarchy

It's unsustainable isn't it! The UK has one of the worst childcare costs in the world. The system is definitely not designed to support mothers in work.

Think about your state and nhs pension contributions too. That's a significant hit.

Could you not go back to the NHS for a few years? Some hospitals have nursery's attached and offer a better rate for NHS staff, in my experience the NHS have always been family friendly especially when returning from Mat leave so allow for flexible working agreements etc so you could do more hours over longer days, do your admin from home so you can work more hours to cover the cost.
Also make sure you are claiming your tax free childcare that makes a difference.

If you don't want to go back to the NHS could you do private physio around your partner. I currently pay £30 an hour to a private sports physio