really need to know what you pay for childcare in central London..is it feasible for me to return to work?

[lillabean]

I posted similar question in the childminders forum, but didn't receive the advice I was needing.

I have the option of returning to work, but the pay is not fantastic- I've no idea really what the cost of childcare is in central London (Marylebone/St. John's wood/Maida Vale/Primrose Hill ect. ect.)
What is the better value? Childminder or nursery?
ANY and ALL help would be greatly appreciated!!

it's vast

you need to look around and you can probably find websites for nurseries in that area but I imagine it would be somewhere around £40-50 a day in a nursery? Childminder possibly a bit less.

You may find a lot of places have waiting lists aswell.

Childminder is around £35 a day .. could vary from £25 to £50 though

Nursrey or childminder depends on you and your feel for which is right

You need to visit them

Also finding people with spaces can be a problem so need to do as soon as you can

When DS1 was in nursery in Notting Hill a couple of years ago we paid around £1,200 per month full-time. This is hopefully the top end of the scale. I think childminders are cheaper but I've no personal experience. Try looking at Childcare Link for more information.

we paid about that much as well (a few years ago)

(How are you Azure? haven't seen you around for ages!)

I pay £30 a day - 9am to 6pm.
She also will be providing one meal, at least for her a day when I'm ready for her to do so, ie she is old enought o eat the same as the other, slightly older kids.

I'm just looking for the same reason but in the Putney area. I have been gobsmacked at the prices. the registered childminders are asking £6-7 per child per hour and then around £8.50 per hour to have my older son just for a few hours after school. At those rates I'm looking at something like £140 per day..... gasp

I won't be going back to work at this rate.

I'm now trying the nanny route which I am hoping will 'only' be about £90 per day

Ds2's nursery is £35 a day, but because he is 3, we get a reduction because some of the cost is funded by the local authority (equivalent to the 2.5 hours a day term time he would get in a nursery attached to a state school).

We are in West London.

We used a childminder in SE17 who was £25 per day in 2004; we supplied all the food DS1 would eat

Anniemac - we are just outside of London, Harrow area.

She's amazing as well. All ofsted registered etc and sends me photos of DD2 and the other kids every day. Has 2 lovley teenage daughters, a dog, a cat, a rabbit and a guinea pig, house clean, she writes me a diarys of DD2's day. Takes them out for walks to the park and to Mother & toddler group.

I love her. I feel so happy and lucky to have her in our lives. Makes working out of the home for 3 days of the week so much easier, knowing she';s with this lovley woman. She's been a childminder for over 20 years since befoe she had herown kids.

When you find someone like that they are worth their weight in gold.

Thank you guys, it seems almost pointless...
funny that I went to school and did all that training, and at the end of day I'd probably make more money as a nanny myself...

don't know to feel sad or glad or what..

but thanks for all your input, it's been a big help.

Does it not depend on promotion too? When I was 22 and had my daughter and worked full time I think I worked at a loss. 22 years later it has hugely paid off so those few years meant years of very good pay and satisfying career. A lot of people nanny share and London is awash with Poles and others. Can't you find two other families perhaps with school age children and then share someone who helps both families?

Check out sharingcare.co.uk - we're in NW london and nurseries are around £1200/month - but so is a nanny share. We've opted for this as more convenient and our son would be in his own home half the time. Going back to work on Thursday incidentally after a year off. Yikes!

Check out sharingcare.co.uk - we're in NW london and nurseries are around £1200/month - but so is a nanny share. We've opted for this as more convenient and our son would be in his own home half the time. Going back to work on Thursday incidentally after a year off. Yikes!

I pay £6 an hour for a cm in central london. with all my outgoings it's barely worth me working to be honest. Oh well lets hope I get a payrise.

Nurseries do get cheaper the older they get. " yr olds cheaper than babies, then 3 year-olds cheaper again and you get a gvt grant. ALSO you can take advantage of a salary sacrifice scheme so that instead of receiving salary you receive payments to your nursery, and you are not taxed on the amount they pay.
Have you checked whether you would be eligible for any of the gvt assistance schemes (is it a tax credit or cash, now?)

Ask your local council for a list of CMs - that should tell you how much they charge, and ask some local nurseries - especially ones recommended by people you know.

I called around to a few nurseries today...
all had waiting lists, the shortest was 8 months!

Yes, but a lot of people will be one several waiting lists, so places tend to become available, whatever they say!