EXPENSIVE

[user1465146157]

I know there's nothing to be done about this - i just wanted to see other people's thoughts on the expense of nursery.

Why is it so expensive?!

The cost is nearing the cost of my mortgage per month which is crazy. I knew it would be a lot but now I am actually going to use one its sinking in....

Wondered if anyone else thinks it's ridiculous?

Insurance, building rent, utilities, toys, equipment, staff, training for staff, food, nappies/wipes, waste licence for nappies, decoration, wear and tear, changing things due to upgrades In health and safety.

I don’t think nursery’s make a huge profit.

It all adds up unfortunately. Just be glad that kids get free education.

It's business - usual business drivers!

I don't see it as expensive and we have a fairly expensive one. I like the security there and the things like CCTV etc. I would happily pay more if I thought it would go directly to the hourly rate of the staff - I tend to give the key worker gifts a lot instead. I really trust and appreciate the people who look after my child all day - there are also back office staff and chefs etc.

:)

Bank holidays being charged, and at mine even training days off are costed back to the parent which I thought seemed unfair

Do you take your bank holidays unpaid?

And would you rather staff training days were abolished? Staff would then be out of date with current practices and legislation and safeguarding but at least the money is better in your back pocket.

Who cares as well that the staff get shit pay? I worked 55 hours a week as a Baby Room Leader for £7.80 per hour. Really I should have got £7.50 per hour to save parents money.

I love how people grumble at the cost of nursery and the amount they pay someone to mind the one irreplaceable thing in their life. I've had people approach and offer me £3 per hour to babysit. When I tell them I actually charge £10/£15 per hour, they are not impressed. One parent said they couldn't justify £10 an hour for their baby to be minded for 6 hours, as that's what her facial costs each month!

Nursery is a fee for a maximum of 4 years. Even then it's subsidised from the age of 2 in some areas then 3. The Government push it as free but it actually costs the nursery and this is putting many nurseries out of business.

My last nursery was £48 per day which is £4.57 per hour. The Government funding for 30 hours (we are in roll out area) was £3.20 so we had a shortfall of £1.37 per hour per funded child yet the outgoings still remain the same. We couldn't charge for extras to recoup the shortfall, so fees had to be increased.

Any anger about fees needs to be directed at the Government. As I've already mentioned, their half arsed attempt at funding is actually screwing over childcare providers. One theory is that they are trying to push nursery care into schools, which are free to parents, and to get them into the state system sooner. If you are bothered then may I suggest you Google and join the Facebook page for Champagne Nurseries Lemonade Funding? It will certainly make you realise that you are not being ripped off and that most childcare providers actually do what they do for the rewards they get from the children, not to make a fat profit (a decent wage is unattainable for most!)

champagnenurseries.co.uk/
Well said Emily
Anyone still in any doubt about how the funding is adversely affecting the aector, should watch this video

£68 a day here but it's all singing and dancing with own farm and 5 acres of woodland. bank hols and Xmas week we pay for as well but I get paid for those too so it's all relative.

I actually only take home £60 a day so it is been struggle for 2.5 yrs but now the free hours have kicked in its reduced a lot.

The nursery staff are wonderful and I am so grateful for the care and love they have shown my DD. Am going to be so sad when she leaves in July but she will be back for holiday camps.

Well said Emily
Anyone still in any doubt about how the funding is adversely affecting the aector, should watch this video

Thanks for posting the link!

I just get so frustrated! I had a conversation with one Dad, (and to his credit he apologised,) about fees and babysitting costs. He was driving a brand new Audi and loved it. I told him I had a full, clean driving licence, my business insurance on my car covers me to drive other cars, could I have a go in it? He said absolutely not, no way, he'd worked hard for his car and it was his pride and joy and didn't want any damage done to it.

I then pointed out that he refused to let me have a go in his new car that could be replaced through insurance like for like but was happy to try and barter me down to £3 an hour to look after his child, who couldn't be replaced if anything went wrong.

You pay me £10 an hour to babysit because I'm experienced (20 years) I'm degree qualified, I'm paediatric first aid qualified, DSL in the setting, I will be working unsociable hours, using my petrol and I'm insured incase anything should go wrong!

Gaaahh!

I don't mind paying £10-£20 per hour for a babysitter, or £70 per day for nursery (which is about what I pay for my son to go full time.). I Would however mind paying £70 a day for the 10 days the nursery is closed for bank holidays. They need to charge a rate that allows them to cover bank holiday training pay in their overheads. If that turned out to be £100 a day then so be it, but nurseries shouldn't charge for bank holiday staff costs - it's an overhead not a direct service.

DD was in Nursery from 14m, costing £480pm. Expensive, but so worth it.

We looked at Childminders too but the ones we looked at cared for their own children too (fair enough probably why they do it) and I was worried that is her children were ill or her I'd have no childcare as I have no family around to help really so it was worth it for the guarantee that on the days I was working DD would be looked after.

You think it's bad? Try having twins in nursery... although it's making us think that we might be able to afford school fees! It's more than our mortgage at the mo 😩

This shouldn't be a debate about whether children are looked after be people who have good working conditions or where costs should be cut.

1. Nursery workers wages reflect the fact that society continually undervalued 'women's work'
2. Women are frequently the ones who take a bit to their wages (already comparatively lower than men's wages) to cover the cost
3. What should happen is that nurseries are free in the same way that schools are free and paid for by taxes.
4. The revenue from taxes should cover a wage for nursery workers that reflects the incredibly important and skilled work that they do.

It's actually not. The nursery staff will be paid a pittance even if they are educated to degree standard. You're trusting them with your children. They could probably earn more working in lidl.

I think my daughters Nursery maybe different there in that they pay staff NLW (saw a job advertised) and give them free childcare if they need it including before and after school care. That's why I think they have such a low staff turnover, and the staff seem very happy.