Childcare

[MagicalKingdom]

My husband and I are both key workers, and have been working full-time from the beginning. We use a crèche2 days per week, and my PILs used to childmind our kids 3 days per week (they’re pre-schoolers) and my PILs are young (late 50s/early60s) and lucky to be retired. Now, I am fully aware of just how fortunate we are that they offered to help us out. Childcare is so expensive in our area and they didn’t want all our wages spent on it. Since lockdown, we’ve had to increase our childcare to 5 days per week with the crèche which is costing us £1500 for 2 kids.

I am so frustrated. This is costing us a huge amount of money each month, and because they are pre-schoolers, we can’t send them in to school. Those workers who have been furloughed on 80%, are also saving on their childcare costs. Whereas those who are out working every day, it’s coming at a huge financial cost. I work in a very high-risk area, and we haven’t been offered any sort of bonus/incentive for coming in during this period.

Is anyone else in the same boat? We are suffering financially because we aren’t allowed to use grandparents for childcare. I think there should be help for those going to work as an essential worker.

I'd use grandparents. You are key workers. I have seen plenty of grandparents out and about with grandchildren.

Non key workers are now having to work now though.
It sucks but tbh £1500 for two children full time isn’t that horrendous-
Odd I know- but all the nurseries near us are £1500 full time for 1 child. Do you claim all your free hours?

I would use grandparents too. Our PILs have just started having our 2 DC for us 3 days a week again which has been a massive help to take the pressure off whilst me and DH work from home.

I think you have to do your own risk assessment, and decide if using
Grandparents is possible.
I am a Grandparent and had my dgs yesterday afternoon, only second time I have had him during lockdown, first time a couple of weeks ago, but now will be a weekly thing. (late 50's)

I was paying £1000 per month for one child almost ten years ago so I wouldn’t consider £1500 for two as expensive.

I pay £1800 per month just for one! I wouldn’t be too jealous of the furloughed workers, they are at very high risk of redundancy over the next few months. These times are shit for everyone in different ways.

We live in NI where wages are a lot less than in the rest of the U.K, £1500 would be considered a decent take-home amount from one parent’s salary. We’re fortunate enough that we earn around £4000 after tax per month as total household income but a lot of people here are not in the same situation.

Also, in NI we aren’t entitled to free hours. It’s grim. We get a tax-free allowance and £1500 per month is after all deductions.

I think we’ll possibly start to use grandparents again. The risk here has decreased significantly, and my PILs are fit and healthy. With being retired, they haven’t been out a lot as they don’t go to work etc.

I’m just jealous of those who have been paid 80% of their wages and not having to pay childcare on top of that. I work in a highly stressful job and it’s costing me a lot more to do my job in light of the pandemic. It’s a kick in the teeth! I wish we’d get some sort of bonus for all the hard work we’ve put in, but I suppose that’s up to employers.

I checked gov.uk and grandparents are allowed to care for key worker children. It just says dont rely on them if they are vulnerable or in a high risk group.
Luckily my parents are also late 50's and retired with no underlying health conditions.

OP your entitled to feel fed up, everyone is. But please don’t do the “I wish I was furloughed” thing- those people probably wish they were working and being paid. Some people can’t afford or risk childcare so are working with LOs under their feet.
As for your income £1500 off £4K is still decent depending on your other outgoings.
I’d probably use grandparents too if they are happy to

I would have never stopped using grandparents unless they are extremely vulnerable or shielding

You are allowed to use grandparents unless they're shielding.
Also, a polite reminder that millions of non-key workers have been working full-time throughout lockdown

I would have been using grandparents if they are not shielding / not in a vulnerable category/ under 70 etc.

Yes, I know I should be grateful to still have a secure job and not be stressed about the possibility of being made redundant etc.

And we can survive on paying £1500 per month for childcare. And I know it won’t last forever. We both work very hard, and got good degrees at university. Our wages/outgoings mean that there are no real possibilities for saving/holidays which is not what I want for my children. I want us to be able to enjoy our money and be able to treat our kids.

This is a “woe is me” post. I understand how fortunate we are to have our jobs and our health. We have a roof over our heads and have food in the fridge. It’s just that with 2 parents both working full-time, there should be money there to afford the luxuries in life.

I’m furloughed and still have to pay for the childcare that I can’t use despite having lower income. It’s a great bonus that you normally get so much free childcare, many don’t, you sound lucky to me, and I’d also carry on sending the kids to the grandparents if I were you as your allowed to as key workers anyway. I agree it would be nice if your employer offer some sort of bonus though.

I know that millions of non-key workers are still working. And I don’t underestimate how difficult it is to continue working and looking after kids, but this isn’t what this thread is about. We can’t bring our kids in to work, it’s impossible.

I am lucky, I really appreciate that. I’m just whinging about our costs multiplying by 250%. I will be chatting to my PILs regarding childcare, they miss the kids terribly.

I've friends in NI and the consistency in how things have been applied is shocking. One friend whose dh is nhs worker is getting free full time childcare for a 2 year old in a hub that the trust has set up. Another friend in a different trust getting nothing. Schools haven't even been open for key workers.

Btw I would use grandparents. NI numbers are so low- no deaths for several days in a row. I think because schools locked down a week before rest of uk due to the way the school holidays fell for at Patrick's day has helped.

Yes, I think we’ll go back to using our PILs.

It’s just ridiculous. At the start of all this, you couldn’t use grandparents for childcare. Therefore, in order for us to be able to go out to work, our childcare budget jumped 2.5x. I am also aware, that due to any change in circumstances, that we may loose PILs as childcare, and we can afford it; we just loose out on other luxuries in life. I’m frustrated, that throughout this crisis, we have been at the forefront of the pandemic. My family and my children have been put more at risk. But I’ve been penalised for it. Do you not think, the government should have given financial support to those having to go out to work 5 days per week?

If my PILs didn’t help out, it would be more beneficial for us for me husband to work PT so we’d only need to pay for a fraction of the childcare. As it is, we have help, so we both work FT.

I suppose there would have been uproar if half of the workforce in hospitals/pharmacies/supermarkets decided to give up their jobs or cut their hours due to childcare costs. And I’m surprised that it didn’t happen.

You can afford it, so why should the government pay? You don’t need financial support. A lot of people in this pandemic have lost their jobs all together and can’t afford food nethermind luxuries. I appreciate its annoying but that last most makes you sound pretty grabby.

It is immaterial how much other posters pay for childcare, or whether they consider the OP's costs expensive, cheap or anything in between. THIS OP has found it hard to have to suddenly increase her outgoings by this amount. I'm sure most of us would struggle to find such a large amount of money each month.

With regard to your question OP, I think that if your ILs are willing and able to take on the childcare again, that would be the best solution. Hope it goes well for you all.

I appreciate where you are coming from @Alb1. I know I sound grabby and I apologise. I am just frustrated with the extra financial costs this pandemic has imposed on us. And I feel really sorry for those who have lost jobs and are struggling, it’s a rubbish position to be in. There’s just no thanks.

Thank you @Erictheavocado , we will be talking to ILs this week regarding childcare again. They were asking recently when they could mind the kids again, as they really do miss them. It’s a tough time for everyone, and people are doing their best to keep safe and keep their loved ones safe too. My mindset is, I’d rather my children be minded by their grandparents than put in to childcare where they are mixing with multiple children from different families.

it sounds really tough for you - I saw in Wales they offered key workers free childcare in the last lockdown as an acknowledgement of the work they were doing (and to ensure childcare was sustainable for the people providing it). Seems like government gets let off the hook when parents are pitted against childcare workers (often on low wages and currently open to all children even when schools are closed). This article summed it up for me,www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jan/28/nursery-staff-work-covid-crisis-early-years-support

OP I don't understand why you think those on furlough don't carry any risk if they look after their children themselves and stop paying for a childcare place.

Not only do they risk being made redundant they also risk not having a childcare place at all if they do get back into any sort of work.

Lots of places in the country have more childcare providers going bust and long waiting lists for the better ones.

Use the grandparents. Everyone I know is however that isn't really any different to the good old days. It's always been the case that if you have willing grandparents and need childcare you will be in a much better position than if you did not. I'm not sure how lockdown changes that at all.
In my case we have continued having MiL but my parents haven't helped for ages because dad is CEV - they should have the vaccine soon and then hopefully will feel happy about helping again. I'm sahm at the moment so don't technically need it but that's only because my business is not able to run . Financially a lot of people are in a tricky position but for a host of different reasons. It's shit all round.