Childcare costs?!

[Yorkymidge]

Hi,
I’m currently pregnant and trying to work out the financial payments for childcare.
Together, me and my partner earn very little. He works full time earning £16k a year, i work part time and go to university part time, earning £11k a year. I actually work in childcare myself and am very settled in my job, the nursery i work in is a new business so is the cheapest around our area while they build themselves up - at £40 a day. I wouldn’t be entitled to staff discount and my baby would have to attend 5 days a week due to me working there three days AND me being at university twice a week. Ironically, i work in the baby room myself so i feel like i would be paying to look after my own child, as well as everyone elses and once the cost of childcare is taken into account (£200 a week) i would come home with £14 spare - as i earn £214.
To me, i understand the price of childcare but i feel it a bit ridiculous that i’d be left with £14 as there’s nothing i can do with that really, it doesn’t support us.

We currently live with my parents as we try to afford a mortgage/rent and intend to stay here for a year until we can save. This means that we’re not entitled to benefits as they take into account my parents wage. Equally, i can’t not work because then i wouldn’t be entitled to a mortgage but i just feel daft working 30+ hours to look after my own child and coming home with £14 that it makes me want to be a full time mum (groan).

I’m SO confused by this all.
If anyone could help it would be greatly appreciated as i am really beginning to stress about our financial situation now.

PS both sets of grandparents work full time so we don’t have an option of the baby staying with family.

When people talk about getting 70% of their childcare paid or free hours for 2 year olds I'm not sure they understand how low your income has to be.
Firstly the 70% is of £175 a week, they won't pay 70% of £200.
Secondly, a joint income of £27k is a way too high to get the full amount - you'll probably get some but nowhere near 70%.
£16k is the limit for free hours for 2 year olds.

I would speak to work and try and sort out a compromise. Explain that you really want to come back, but for £14/week its not worth it.
It's often difficult to recruit and retain good members of staff and especially if they are not full and the place if available, its not going to cost them anything extra to have your daughter too.

Otherwise, I would look for a nursery that gives you a much better discount after fees.

Another alternative, depending on where you live in the country, would be to apply for nanny jobs with your own child on the days that you don't attend university. Many of them tend to be after school positions, but they often pay a really good hourly rate.

Could you look for a job at a different nursery where you would get a staff discount perhaps?

What degree course is it you’re doing? Will it definitely enable you to walk into a higher paid role? It’s not the EYPS is it?

I would definitely double check your facts re your parents’ wages-that doesn’t sound right.

If your baby is in the room you worked it, I would look on it in a more positive way. It’s not paying to look after your baby, but being lucky enough to work and see your baby every minute!

It’s not ideal but how about evening/night/weekend work so your husband looks after the baby and you don’t need to pay for childcare apart from your uni days. You could look at nanny work or even supermarket/hotel reception etc.

Ironically, i work in the baby room myself so i feel like i would be paying to look after my own child, as well as everyone elses

Does your nursery permit this? I would actively choose another nursery if I knew my child’s key worker had their own child in their care as I would feel my child would (understandably) be their priority.

I know our nursery has a staff discount but absolutely doesn't let the nursery nurses look after their own children, like pp I would not send my child to a nursery that allowed it.

@Politicalacuityisathing i was putting it into perspective as my salary, not as a joint. My partner pays bills etc.. Yes universal credit has taken over in my area and i aren’t entitled to much of it due to be a student. Thank you for your advice.

@sleepymama38473 @Calmingvibrations @squadronleader87 thank you so much, i haven’t heard of that!

@InDubiousBattle @NapQueen Thank you for enabling me to look at it from that perspective, it’s still tight on cash though!

@FluffyMcCloud That’s a good idea also. I’d struggle to though - i have no experience other than childcare work and obviously that’s not available at those times.

@Twittlebee it’s just such a struggle isn’t it! so stressful. Thank you though.

@MummytoCSJH my course is actually already classed as a full time course confusingly, since i only do 2 days per week but with it being a degree it somehow is registered as one, i checked with the university. Therefore i’m not entitled to any more and maintenance loan is very low due to living with parents.

@Moonflower12 i’d obviously heard of them but didn’t realise you could visit them. Thank you, i will look into that.

@Melliegrantfirstlady thank you

@Mindchilder confusingly, i am classed as a full time student with it being a degree - i checked with my university. Yes i realised the funding due to work in a nursery, people rarely get it. Thank you for that information though.

@underneaththeash unfortunately, work wont budge as it’s a new business and they need the money. I see it as a little unfair to not even get a 10% discount considering the price i’d be paying them. I’d never heard of nanny jobs with taking my own child? Could you elaborate on this please? Thank you

@Reservoirdogs i’m quite settled so it would be disappointing to, but i may have to do so for financial reasons

@Holidayshopping no it’s a teaching degree, i learnt not to do early years haha! I will double check and thanks for that perspective.

@CatPatrol @NerrSnerr yes they do allow it, strange i know but it happens often as it’s a more a homely environment rather than a nursery. Strangely, parents quite like that fact. In all honesty though, no staff members show favouritism at all - if i didn’t work there or wasn’t told, i wouldn’t realise that parents were working amongst their children.

Where do you live OP? Your employer is mad - I really would look at moving elsewhere after your maternity period

It's basically nannying with your own child (NWOC). It depends on the area and demand and sometimes works well, especially in SE. Put a profile on childcare.co.uk and see who bites!

You are doing a teaching degree part time, but it’s classed as full time?! I’ve never heard of this-how come?

For a degree to be classed as full time you don't need to actually be in full time. It just means that on average over the academic year it will require a certain amount of hours each week to complete it. They don't have to be contact hours it includes writing assignments, sitting exams, placements etc.

I did a full time MSc over a year. I had 6 contact hours per week for just 30 weeks of the year. It was run over 2 days.

Op do you get a student loan? If so this income will likely be taken into account for UC. I would do the calculator but not as a full time student. Put your work hours in and both salaries and then put your student loan in as other income. You should be able to get some sort of result this way.

The benefit system has never been able to sort out student parents! I navigated this for 4 years as a lone parent and the amount of conflicting advice I got was ridiculous as all the rules change so often.

You can try CAB but in my experience they were as confused as everyone else. I had better luck with the uni welfare team but mainly doing my own research and here on mumsnet was the best way to find out all the info.

I’ve just never heard of a teaching course that is part time (as in you’re in only two days) but it’s classed as full time. Do you mind letting me know which university this is at, OP.

PM if you don’t want to say on here.

Can you try looking for a job as a nanny with her own child so you can take your baby to work with you?

Op who has said you aren't entitled to benefits because of your parents' income?
That definetly doesn't sound right.

It would probably make more sense to be a nanny with own child for you.

I would also look at student finance available to help you with childcare while studying.