Childcare costs in London N16 - can you give me the skinny?

[MissMitford]

Hello everyone
We're expecting baby number 1 at the beginning of February next year. We're trying to get a handle on likely childcare costs, probably for a 4-day or full time place from about 4 months.

Can anyone living in my 'hood give me some figures? DH and I will get childcare vouchers through work, so I hope that will help a bit.

Thanks so much!

we're in SE15 (zone 2, one bus from the city, so comparable).

Here, nurseries are £40-70 per day
CMs £30-50 per day

Lots of the nurseries offer 5 days for the price of 4.

A full time nursery place - you're probably looking at £900 a month +

A registered childminder - around £5-6 an hour

www.learningtrust.co.uk has info on various nurseries and childcare (although not costs- you could ring). Don't discount the state nurseries - much cheaper. Linden is LOVELY (where I would have sent dd before i decided to be SAHM).

CM nearer to £8 an hour IMO

I'm in N16, my CM charges £41 a day (standard contract inc 4 weeks paid holiday). Nurseries are between 50 and 60 a day. There is a v active CM network if you want to go down that route. Have friends with babies at the Montessori nursery in Stamford Hill and the one off Church St and theya re v happy with them (as am I with my cm )

Nurseries have long waiting lists (Linden offered us a place 14 months after we put our name down).

Gosh, glad i didnt go with the cm i found - saw a few, all £7-8/50 a day!

Agree with Effie, know people with kids at montessori, rainbow, coconut, hillside, minihome... all happy... but yes, long lists i think... different strokes for diff folks too!

14 months! I had immediate p-t place for dd (2 years ago)!

I was a bit when they finally phoned me with a place! @Umlellala. We went with the Firestation Nursery on Leswin Rd in the end. DS was there for 2 yrs until we moved out of N16. It was a lovely, if slightly ramshackle, little nursery.