I know it varies, but average nursery costs? Spec. Montessori.

[BertieBotts]

Can anyone let me know a rough idea of nursery costs? I am vaguely considering part time work when DS is 1 (though as he is 9.5mo I may have to wait longer due to waiting lists etc) and I like the look of the local Montessori nursery, how much do they usually cost? I would prefer to do half days.

Also would be interested to know how much for a 3 year old with the nursery grant (though I realise this may change by 2012 if government changes etc)

Dd goes to a Montessori nursery and it is £19 per session- 7.30 - 12.30/8.00 - 1.00 then 12.30 - 5.30/1.00 - 6.00. She does 3 full days at £38 a day.

It will be worth finding out if your employers have a childcare voucher scheme where you pay the fees straight from your salary - this way you can get £243 tax free - between dp and I we can just about cover the fees from our tax free allowance and it makes a big difference.

Also find out if you are entitled to help from child tax credits - there is a childcare element although I'm not sure what the cut offs are.

This website is really helpful for working out your hypothetical situation

www.entitledto.com/

Also with the nursery grant I'm sure it is 12.5 hours a week you are entitled to, I don't know if any private nurseries do not accept this funding, I know ours does so as I understand it we will get 1.25 days funded, but dd is only 18 months and I haven't looked into it too much so I may be wrong.

It says on the website that the grant applies the term after they turn 3

I have no idea whether my employers offer anything like that but I doubt it as they are a very small company. Thanks for the info Will definitely contact them, just wanted to see what region we were thinking in!

Dd hoes to a Montessori Nursery. We paid £37 a day until she was 1yo and moved out of the baby room, and now we pay £34 a day.

Mine goes to a Montessori nursery - £56 per day in Surrey.

Around £45 a day when I was working in nurseries in the South West.

We pay abour £37/day - not montessori, though, for 8am - 6pm.

If your employers don't have a childcare voucher scheme then ask them to look into it - even if they are small, it is supposed to be self-funding as they also save (on employers NI contributions). There are instructions for employers on the Accor site and on Care-4.

The grant definitely kicks in at the beginning of the term after they turn 3 - and goes through to the end of the term in which they turn 5. It is term-time only, so it can be hard to measure the impact, but from (fuzzy) memory for DS (it won't kick in for DD until January - I can't wait!) it reduced our nursery bill by about a third. Also check with any potential nursery that they do claim the grants as it involves a lot of admin for them and not all do.

We used to pay just under £1000 per month for full time care at 1 year old (8am-6pm). I think we are in an expensive area, south, but not London.

i pay 150 a week for a fultime place at nursery.

I paid £1200 per month for a full-time place for my DS (in London).

Now he's 3 we get approx. Now DS is 3 it's complicated by the fact that DD goes to the same nursery so we get the reduction for his gae, plus 12.5% discount for a second child, plus the government grant which works out at about £550 per term. We currently pay £1760 for both children f-t, but it goes up in September by about £10 a week I think.

Friend's DS goes to a Montessori and before the age of 3 she paid around £800 per month. Not sure what it is now.

My son is going to a montessori full time 4 days for £880 a month

forgot to say, that is the baby room fee, its cheaper for older children

Definitely seems to vary on location (blanches at sunshinemummy's costs). DD goes to an excellent nursery that always has a waiting list. It's on-site, though run privately, at the local college and we pay £350 a month for DD (10m) to go 3 full days a week, 8am to 5.45pm if needed. It's about £550 a month for 5 days.

In our area (N Wales) once she turns 3 she becomes entitled to (I think) 5 half days a week of free nursery. Her nursery, though private, will reduce her fees accordingly if she stays with them.

Sounds like the South, especially London, charges a premium (what's new?).

My employer provides childcare vouchers, so the savings there plus child tax credit and child benefit almost pays for the fees.

I believe you can only get help with childcare costs if you qualify for working tax credit. To qualify for WTC you need to be in receipt of certain benefits and/or on income of under £16,000 (or may be £20k) pa. Only know this cos a friend does qualify and I helped her with app.