Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Flip

Original poster

Arghhh childcare costs!

14 replies

notremotelyintofootie · 02/03/2011 17:29

It is so unfair! I am on a funded phd and am expected to put in a minimum of 35 hours a week, dh works various shifts and so can only watch dd (15 months) if it fits with the shifts which it rarely does and so my work suffers... I insisted on a nursery for a few sessions a week to give me regular protected time for meetings etc and that costs us nearly £400 a month for 3 afternoons a week... This is my final year so I am analysing, writing and need to do some teaching to improve my chances of getting a job next year and so I need to be around more....

The annoying thing is if my income was treated as a normal job by inland revenue because if dh's low wage, we would get assistance fir childcare (upto 80% of childcare cost back!) but we don't..... :((

I am really stuck...... Only option now is spend hours applying left right and centre fir hardship funds/additional grants with no certainty of getting any and using the rare hours I should be working!!!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

LB29 · 02/03/2011 20:13

No advice I'm afraid, just joining you in a rant.
I'm concerned about this too. I am currently studying with the ou but in a few years I will either be on a teacher training course or postgrad study at a brick uni. Both my 2 will be at school by then but the childcare costs are still crazy. Our local after school club requires you to pay for all 5 sessions even if you only needed the 1. It pisses me off more that if I had wanted to go to college to train to be a hairdresser then I could have got all childcare paid for.

beanlet · 02/03/2011 20:18

Have you asked close student friends whether they would babysit for you for free? A colleague of mine has a PhD student who recently gave birth, and all the rest of his students have rallied round and take baby sitting shifts to help her finish writing up. Two of my students have sat for me for short periods and refused to take anything in return.

Original poster

notremotelyintofootie · 02/03/2011 20:20

It really is crazy, full time nursery costs for dd would be £1100 a month!! As an undergraduate I could apply for assistance but there is nothing for postgrad and I would happily pAy tax on my bursary if I could get childcare help!

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Families General parenting

Original poster

notremotelyintofootie · 02/03/2011 20:23

Hi beanlet, that would be a wonderful idea but i do t really know any non phd students here, they tend to keep us locked away from the other students and the department! I might put out some feelers though.....

OP posts:

LunarRose · 02/03/2011 20:25

PGCE (teacher training) you can apply for student finance - you can also apply for childcare grants - not the same as a PhD

LB29 · 02/03/2011 21:16

Thanks for that lunarRose. Will definately keep it in mind when I decide what to do next.

LunarRose · 02/03/2011 22:39

My childcare was totally paid for during my PGCE

Acinonyx · 05/03/2011 15:42

I switched to using a childminder. I didn't do it for money reasons but it did actually work out to be two thirds the cost of nursery. Childcare took up almost all of my grant .

marie14 · 17/03/2011 22:26

I'm in the third year of my degree, even though it's not a good idea to be passing a baby around our group of friends it's got to be done to provide a better future!

ilythia · 19/03/2011 19:57

I am doing a PGCE but as DH is on all of 25k I get no childcare grant. Not a bean.
DD2's nursery costs are £700 a month, and when it is half term and I have to go into Uni that goes up to £900 for dd1 as well.

Luckily I do get my bursery for a shortage subject, which covers the nursery costs and fuck all else.

I agree that if I were doing anything else I would be okay, or if I were a single parent, but we are on the breadline as it is with mortgage/2 kids to look after and we are not entitled to anything. It sucks. Hugely.

Concordia · 20/03/2011 19:20

i'm writing up my doctorate and have been for a while.. paid 250 in childcare this month, other than that try to work around dh's shifts, work in evenings etc.
it is very unfair though. there is nothing for people doing postgrad courses, if i was working i 'd be a lot better off.
just shows you how education is valued in this country though...

Original poster

notremotelyintofootie · 20/03/2011 22:17

Concordia are you finding you have enough time to write?

I have my analysis and write up to do by dec/jan and am worried I won't have enough decent chunks of time!

OP posts:

Concordia · 21/03/2011 19:32

well mine is a taught doctorate, so i have already done five assignments and my thesis is (only) 50 000. i came back from leave of absence last september and my analysis (messy qualitative social science stuff!) took nearly a year, but some of that i was trying to work as well and got very little done at all. i now have 15 hours childcare a week term time only - which we pay for but i am still doing a lot in the evenings. hoping to finish by June.
i do find only having short chunks of time hard, for writing particularly where it often takes me a few hours to get into it.
i can see the end in sight though.

Original poster

notremotelyintofootie · 23/03/2011 21:10

Wow that sounds really structured!

My is bulk standard produce 100,000 at the end of three years....

OP posts:

Flip