how much cheaper are child minders generally than nurseries?

[choufleur]

just wondering and contemplating number 2 and thinking about finances

It depends on the nursery or childminder. My childminder is £4.30 per hour which is roughly the same as the local nurseries. However, I know that some childminders charge less than that.

does that include all meals littlefish - that's more than i pay for a full day for DS now at nursery. maybe i was wrong in my assumption that CMs are cheaper - suppose it depends on the area of teh country as well

Yes, that includes meals. It's more expensive, because my childminder only ever has 2 - 3 children during the day.

I'm in the West Midlands.

also depends on whether you do a 'full day' - most nurseries charge a standard day rate without any discount if you pick up early, yet childminders charge to the closest 15 mins (generally, I think). A nursery would be a lot more expensive for me as I work less hours in the day than your 9-5 job.

think it depends on area

one near me in kent is £30 a day (friend has twins and they go there) so £60 a day for them

i dont know what cm near me charge, but i would have thought at least over £3ph (sure nearer £5 tbh) so its cheaper for my friends twins to go to nursery rather than a cm

Our CM charges slightly more than a nursery, but she is fab and very flexible.
If you can find a CM that charges by the hour rather than the day and you do less than 9-5pm it could be cheaper.

Why do people expect cms to be cheaper than nurseries when we all have to sing from the same hymn sheet now in terms of paperwork, education and planning and assessment???

at my nursery in herts, We charge £49.00 for a full day and half that if you want to pick them up at 1.15, or drop them off at 1.15 we open at 7.45 and close at 6.30.

We provide food, that is a snack at 10, lunch and a tea at 3.30, we also provide nappies, wipes e.t.c.

Mine is more expensive than a nursery.
She is great though - worth every penny.

Some CMs are cheaper than nurseries, some aren't, it differs a lot and you need to do your homework in your area

I charge almost as much as the local nursery but i dont close so parents arnt under pressure to HAVE to pick up at a certain time so I am flexible.. also I will pick up and drop off. All meals and snacks AND LOTS OF OUTINGS included in my £3.00 an hour.

Also, not to have a pop at nurserys, I dont spend lots of time talking to collegues I talk to the children instead.

that sounds like a pop

I think I am slightly cheaper by maybe 20p an hour than my local daycare nursery.

We all do the same job so why should the fees be any cheaper?

I am around the same price as my local nurseries but the care i give is better (runs for cover)

Well said SillyMilly!!!!!!

I'm so sad all this.

Local CMs charged about £5 per hour/£25 per day, but after a string of dissapointments we had to opt for a nursery. We ended up at the most expensive at £55 per day (but they were all around £50+).

When No.2 arrives either I don't go back to work or we reconsider CMs.

i'm not going to rise to your bait,

At the risk of sounding mean Lion taking care of children is actually the worst paid job going. I earn much less per hour as a cm than my 19 year old son does on Saturdays at the local garage...

I think the debate shouldnt polarise CMS and nurserys but why do people think child care should be cheap..

Lion if you are not happy with the child care options in your area and you can afford to stay at home then whats the problem?

Career can wait, children grow fast...enjoy them while they are still little.. honestly its the best time of your life..

AND THAT WASNT A POP AT WORKING MUMS BECAUSE I AM ONE ALL BE IT WORKING FROM HOME..

i don't think people think childcare should be cheap - just grapple with the reality that it eats up most of the mum's wage.

and even if you can afford to stay at home when they are little, will your job/career still be there when you want to go back?

these are the issues for many mums. not that it hasn't been said here a million times before.

i can't afford to stay at home. i work 4 days a week and my ds (3) goes to nursery 1 full day, a half day and playschool one morning. I'm lucky grandparents look after him the rest of the time. It's just practically we need to consider money when thinking about number 2 and childcare is a huge cost.

Rightly or wrongly I thought CMs were generally cheaper than nurseries. I guess overheads are less, no staff to pay, separate buildings to manage and maintain etc.

thebody - the rate a childminder earns pr hour varies depending on how many children she minds and whether it is school holidays. If you are only minding one pre schooler then at (roughly) £4ph then you are likely to be earning less than your 19 year old, but if you have 2 then it's £8ph and if you have 3 then it's £12ph - and in school holidays if you have another 2 or 3 older ones then those rates are doubled. So - could be £24 per hour if you have no small children of your own and have your full quota of mindees.

I do realise that there are expenses that need to come off of those figures and that in these times not many childminders are full, but some cm's are making a reasonable (i know, not mega bucks!) income from it. You are also saving on childminding costs yourself.

I looked after 2 children from one family once and Mum told me that after childcare costs she actually took home less than I did from her wage packet - but she reasoned that she was 'keeping her hand in' with her job and the higher childcare costs were only whilst her children were young.

Ratios are different too

for under 1's the ratio 1 adult to 3 babies
for 2-3's the ratio is 1 adult to 4 children
for 3-5's the ratio is 1 adult to 8 children (unless there is a qualified teacher when it is 1 adult to 13 children)

a childminder can have 3 under 5's

so a member of staff in a nursery could look after 13 children (if in a room with a teacher and another 13 children)

My childminder is worth her weight in gold! She is fantastic and I love her home environment, she is worth every penny. When you work it out, per hour it's not that much and at the end of the day you are trusting them with the most precious little creatures in the world....

i work out cheaper than the nursery opp me as most of my children are part time term time children 9am till 3pm so i only charge for those hours and cause i can cover their space in the hols i dont charge

I charge a weekly rate, for full time 8-6pm, of £130 which includes all meals. I know my local nursery charges £35 a day (£175!) For part time I charge £4 an hour