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Original poster

Parents struggle with holiday childcare

76 replies

Strix · 14/07/2010 10:37

www.bbc.co.uk/news/10617865

Tell me these childcare prices were taken from the 1930s because if I could get a week of childcare for £100 I'd happily pay for the neighbors kids as well.

A week of childcare in distant suburban West London for one child is more like £300. And I am talking about a childminder. A nanny would be more.

And how can Scotland be more expensive than London? Is that true?

OP posts:
HowsTheSerenity · 14/07/2010 12:16

Strix- Have you taken them to the adventure playground at marble hill park? All supervised. 3 quid a day per child.

There are camps at the hawker centre in kingston that is good and quite cheap too.

TheInvisibleManDidIt · 14/07/2010 12:17

9 weeks!!!

I thought 7 was bad enough.

Oblomov · 14/07/2010 12:17

Council run club, at his school, for 2 weeks, 8.30-3.30 = £75

We then have 2 weeks holiday as a family. that leaves me 5 days, 2 weeks( i work 2.5 days)to cover. dh will work from home for a couple of days. i will take one day off. my friend is having him for 1 day.

Sorted.

14 weeks ? atleast ours is only 5 3/4.

PinkElephant73 · 14/07/2010 12:22

We are in Hertfordshire, local leisure centre charges about 20-25 per day per child.

Childminder £3.50 -£4 per hour.

I don't know how people can afford to live in London unless they are on megabucks

Oblomov · 14/07/2010 12:27

sorry, just checked, paid £65 for the 2 weeks. that is dirt cheap.holidayscheme

thats £6.50 for the whole day 8.30-3.30.

I don't think your'll get much better than that.

BoffinMum · 14/07/2010 12:52

We have a whole load of childcare vouchers we have been unable to use (long story) but I recently found you could pay for PGL summer camps with them. Lots of special offers on there as well - two kids for 7 nights residential for around £500. Yippee!

redskyatnight · 14/07/2010 12:57

Here (big town in South East) you are looking at £25-£35 for an 8-6 sort of day.

There are some clubs that run school-hoursish (10-3 say) that are cheaper than that.

I struggle to find childcare for my 4 year old - a lot of places won't take children until they are 5.

JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar · 14/07/2010 12:58

We pay £25.50 a day, hours 8am - 6pm. Not funded by the LA/govt, but run by the same company that do afterschool care and breakfast club. The set up seems v.similar to the one chill linked to, and although not in London is in a fairly expensive part of the country all the same.

The price includes snacks and trips - I can't take DS to the zoo for the day for less, tbh. Holiday clubs are bound to be cheaper than childminders though - think of the ratios.

Lancelottie · 14/07/2010 15:59

It does depend on the age and inclination of your child, though.

Not a hope of persuading any of mine to go to football camp, and although I don't pander to my children overmuch, putting them into Hell On Earth wouldn't seem fair. Luckily, now they're all over 8, two of them are off to Drama Club (£175 for two, 8:30 to 5:30, five days; though I guess I'd better go to the end of week show, so really 4 and a half days).

Our afterschool club does just the fortnight at the start of the holiday (£40 per day for two). Guess when muggins booked to go away on holiday? Yep.

No childminders left round this neck of the woods; they all gave up once the afterschool clubs and nurseries opened.

FanjolinaJolie · 14/07/2010 16:49

I have not been able to find one scheme that would take both DD's aged 5 and 3, as most wouldn't take my youngest as well.

I have managed to get a local babysitter to do look after them for me for two weeks I'll take two weeks of and DH will take some leave too. I only work two days per week so easier to cover than five days.

I think I'll be able to manage better once youngest is school age as Kings Camps/Supercamps and the council run schemes all seem to be from age four around here.

I will essentially be working for free during the summer

southeastastra · 14/07/2010 16:50

£50 a week here council run.

Barberofseville · 14/07/2010 20:15

What I want to know is what do you do with 12 year olds?!Too old for holiday clubs (even if you've got them/can afford them) but too young to be left home alone all day. People I know seem to either have family/grandparents who can have their tween/teens or work from home. Not having either option myself I really don't know what I'm going to do all summer.

Lancelottie · 14/07/2010 20:44

12 year olds are kind of what the 10 till 3 sports/film workshop/ fencing days are aimed at, I think -- something for them to do, but not a full day of it. You do have to hope they have enough nous to get themselves home, though.

Barberofseville · 14/07/2010 20:47

Oh. thanks Lancelottie. Only sport stuff on near us. Dd hates sport, so that's not much use. Would love to get her on to film workshop but haven't found anything like that.

Original poster
Strix · 14/07/2010 22:10

Chili,

Sadly, I'm unlikely to get my way. But what I want is tax deductible child care for the working people. This may surprise you, but some people employ nannies because they are the cheapest form of childcare, not because they can afford any kind of childcare they want and simply prefer a nanny.

OP posts:
superfrenchie1 · 14/07/2010 23:39

ohhh it is a total nightmare. i also booked to go on holiday the week that the school are offering cheap-ish childcare (why were they so late getting the forms out)

£100/week is average where I am for primary school-age. and i have 2 to fork out for... and as yet nothing lined up... shit, better get onto it.

ViveLaFrak · 15/07/2010 08:32

A nanny breaks even at 2 children and is better value than other forms for 3.

You'll have 3 next summer? Are congratulations in order?

naughtymummy · 15/07/2010 08:50

Holiday club here is £12 a day (15 with lunch ) 9-5 includes swimming and another actiity each day eg: trampolining or basket ball ) Takes them from 4 too

cheltenhamgal · 15/07/2010 09:44

The Holiday club I use is the breakfast and afterschool club in term time. It is £20 per day from 0800-1800 and DD can go there until she is 16 if she wishes

sunny2010 · 15/07/2010 09:55

Its 145 at my nursery and that is with 3 meals, all nappies and suncream provided and 50 hours childcare.

JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar · 15/07/2010 10:19

Barberofseville I currently have my head stuck firmly in the sand as far as what to do with ds when he's at secondary school.

I'm thinking 3 weeks leave (two weeks away all together and a week either side, one each between me and dp), perhaps a week PGL, and a wing and a prayer for the rest.

There are lots of activities run by the sports centre and so on, but ds isn't remotely interested in sport.

Something will turn up though. I hope

PinkElephant73 · 15/07/2010 14:00

Vivelakfrak how do you work that out that a nanny is cheaper if you have 3 kids - compared with what?

equinox · 15/07/2010 14:45

Looks like I am getting ripped off then £30 a day in Derbyshire and £3 on top for lunch and then occasional extra £1/£3.50 for extra trips and musical workshops.

Next year I will really look into council stuff instead it is ridiculous! I didn't know it existed.

And salaries are poxy here too. I was paying £34 a day when I lived in London!

Good to know for the future .....

Original poster
Strix · 15/07/2010 16:51

Frak is right. If you have 3 children who require full time care (10 hours a dat for 5 days) then a nanny is cheaper. If the nanny is live-in it is often cheaper with two kids.

If I used a holiday club at £100 per week for the school age ones and had a baby (as I will have next summer the weekly bill would be:

DS1 Holiday club £100
DD holiday club £100
DS2 nursery £200
Au pair for holiday club wrap around (before 10:00 and after 3:00)£100

So that's £500 per week and I can get a live in nanny for considerably less.

OP posts:
southeastastra · 15/07/2010 16:52

lots of holiday clubs have sibling rates