Share your childcare tips with The Childcare Voucher Providers Association - £300 voucher to be won NOW CLOSED

[EllieMumsnet]

Sorting out reliable childcare can be a difficult task for any parent. The struggles of trying to organise appropriate childcare can sometimes turn your whole day upside down. With that being said The Childcare Voucher Providers Association would like to hear about the tips or shortcuts you have for arranging your childcare, whether you’re a working parent or not.

Here’s what the Childcare Voucher Providers Association has to say: “We are on a mission to ensure that working parents have the best support possible for arranging their childcare. And this includes a genuine choice in the financial support that best suits their families. We think it’s great that the Government is focusing on improving access to childcare support and we welcome the additional choice that tax-free childcare will bring to accompany the support that millions of parents have received from Childcare Vouchers.

However, the Government wants to close the voucher regime to new parents in April 2018. For many parents, Childcare Vouchers will provide far more financial support than tax-free childcare, including for couples with one working parent who won’t be able to claim any financial support at all under tax-free childcare. That’s why we think rather than closing one scheme, the Government should keep the voucher scheme open as well as tax-free childcare to give parents a genuine choice and access to the support that best suits their family. If you agree with this then please feel free to sign this petition to keep the voucher scheme open.”

Do you have any tips on managing your childcare around a busy working life? How do you manage when you have to drop your kids off at different providers? Have you got any tips that save you money? Or perhaps you enlist the help from family members as well as childcare providers?

Whatever your tips are share them on the thread below, where one lucky MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck.
MNHQ

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Having wonderful grandparents on both sides are worth their weight in gold!..They juggle the children between them. Also try to keep as many holidays as possible so that we can be all off together through the holidays.

We were lucky as both our parents helped out a lot. I cover the school holidays with my sister which means we don't need to take as many holidays from work and is much cheaper than holiday clubs

I was a non working mum but my daughter finds it a nightmare - a different routine every day and then not even the same every week - she copes very well

Pick a nursery as close to home as you can (providing of course it's a good nursery that you like!)

Only work part time and have got into a routine now so am quite happy at the moment.

We share the drop offs and pick ups so I can drop later and hubby can collect earlier whilst I work later. Reduces the bill slightly. We also both get childcare vouchers which reduces the tax bill.

I am a teacher so I have a workplace nursery and child care attached to my college. My mums does the schools runs three times a week since my husband died and They go to clubs two days. As a teacher I am here all summer which saves money. My college and I have an agreement that any paperwork and admit can be done at home so I am there with them most evening . I used to work 4 night classes but since my husband died I only ever have to do one a week and one Saturday workshop a month. Child care is very difficult and expensive without a supportive very fit and young mum I would have to give up work.

Luckily my parents provide the majority of my childcare now. They retired the year DD started school and we chose the school closest to their house for that reason.
Before that she was in a nursery from 9 months to 18months, childminder from 18 month to 3yr and then nursery from 3. All of the placements cost me more for 30hpw than I paid in rent. Which is crazy. But it was worth it as DD loved every placement. I particularly liked the childminder, loved the smaller setting and more personalised care. We only left her as I'd picked a childminder close to the station for my commute and she was unable to do the wraparound care at the school we'd chosen as it was too far. It wasn't feasible for me to take DD to school nursery, collect her and take her to minder for afternoon, work were very inflexible and at the time I didn't drive. So DD went to a nursery that could do wraparound care with her school nursery. Although it did mean I had to get a bus 15 minutes in the wrong direction to drop her off and then pass by my house on way to pick her up after work.

We have always struggled as we have no family and the childcare is so expensive

I work 3 days a week condensed hours and use wrap around care on those days. I think my best tip is not to feel guilty on the days you can't drop or collect your dc from school, as long as they're coming home to a loving home that's what matters.

Both me and DH work for larger companies who have flexible working policies. On nursery days DH works 8-4 rather than 9-5 so he can do nursery pick ups. I work part time and do drop offs on nursery days. Not sure how well it's all going to work next year when dd1 starts school though.

I got a flexible working hours job before I had kids so I could flex my hours around them. DH starts later and finishes later so he does drop off. I start early and finish early so I can do pick up. We've both taken pay cuts but see them more.

DD2s new CM is the one my 2 friends use so personal recommendation is crucial.

DD4 cries when I pick her up from afterschool club because she'd like to stay longer!

I'm still on Mat leave, but we've decided the best way to manage our money is for both of us to work compressed hours over 4 days. This means we will only need 3 days childcare and won't have to lose any income.

We chose a nursery which is on the way to my husbands office so it's quite a convenient location.

My husbands employer pay just over £100 per month towards childcare and we use the tax free childcare system too.

I'm not looking forward to when dd starts school and we have to sort out wrap around care as that seems trickier. I'm going to stay p/t at work though so at least it's not going to be every day.

If anyone who you trust offer to help, accept it you can't be super mom all the time. The kids will always love you and Wong bear a grudge if you didn't always take and pick them up from school

I wish there were tips or money saving advice but myself and OH are both teachers so in term time there's no finishing early, condensing hours. We spend nearly one of our entire wage a month on childcare for our two kids. The only saving grace is my mum kindly does one day a week. Obviously if we didn't have the holidays we do then one of us would have to give up our job.

Gut instinct is really important. Listen to it when you're checking out nurseries or meeting babysitters, and don't feel hassled into making a decision.

My OH works four long days and has our girls on a Monday. As soon as we can, we mix our childminder (who we love) with pre- school nursery. We don’t try and ‘save’ money so much, because we love our childminder, but we do a mix of childcare.

Childcare vouchers have been great for us. DH and I both work so we both get vouchers and combined save over £100 in tax relief per month.

I think mum guilt is the worst whatever you choose. I take advantage of childcare vouchers as tax free and also take help from grandparents if you have any as they are a huge saving

Don't forget to factor car seats into childcare plans. We chose a nursery within walking distance of home which meant if we needed help family could still get them to our house safely.

I went back to work after my first and that was just about worthwhile - however when number 2 came along it just didn't add up. I didn't earn enough to pay 2 lots of nursery fees. My husband would have been having to top up the nursery fees and give me money to cover travel and lunch costs. Bonkers! So, I ended up giving up my career and had to stay home with the little ones. I was very lucky when I did go back to work after No1 though - my employer allowed me to come in later, take a short lunch break and finish early so that I could actually manage nursery drops & picks. My husbands job couldn't allow any flex and I live 170 miles away from family so had no help. It's tough arranging flexible childcare!

I'm another who worked after DC1 but found after DC2 it would be working for a loss.

When we were looking at childcare for DC1, I visited many different settings. I found looking at things like how much attention the staff gave me as a visitor vs the kids they were looking after was important, I didn't go with the nursery that gushed and looked after me, but were ignoring the children when there was a potential customer in the room.

My tip?

Be kind to your childcare provider, be considerate, recognise they are doing an extremely important job (looking after my children, it’s doeent get more important than that!) and be reliable. If you say you’re going to pick up at 5, don’t pick up at 5.17

I was very lucky to have great help around me but I think the tip is to try and allow yourself not to feel too guilty about leaving them