Leaving work due to childcare issues

[Maybepossibly22]

Hello all, just a bit advice if anyone has any. Not sure if I’m posting in the right place (MN team, please move if this is wrong).

I've been fortunate enough to have my parents support for childcare for dd who is 2 so that I’ve been able to work.

My darling dad has been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and obviously will no longer be able to look after DD. In amongst our anticipatory grief, I’m wondering about what our options are regarding childcare - it will cost more than I earn to put DD into full time childcare.
Would I be able to leave work and receive UC without sanction until DD is eligible for her 3 year funding? I need to be around to look after DD and support dm with my df.
Im trying to distract myself from my heartbreak with sorting out logistics going forward.
thank you

Your council probably has a list of childminders.
Can you go part time?
Would your employer allow you a sabbatical?

And I should have started my post to day I'm sorry for your current troubles.
I hope you are being supported emotionally as much as you are supporting your mum.

Thank you for your response. We are holding onto each other as much as we can.
Part time isn’t an option in my role unfortunately, we do know a lovely childminder but the costs for childcare again would be more than I earn from currently working. My heads all muddles so I’m probably not thinking straight about our feasible options.

I'm so sorry about your father OP

You have a few options

• take out a 5-10 year loan to cover 1 year of childcare costs. The repayments will be much lower than the childcare as you are spreading it over a long period of time

• have you looked into the tax free childcare account?

• different childcare options - some childminders offer cheaper rates for a 2pm finish - could your mother do a couple of hours per day?

Also term time only childcare instead of 50 weeks - would mean you need to take all "school" holidays as annual leave

What about the dad? It's not just about childcare costing more than your salary. It's a joint obligation

There's no way a childminder charges more than you earn, they just don't. Plus you can use tax free childcare which will save you 20% and she will get funded hours within a year saving you even more.

Are you a lone parent? If so you will receive govt help towards childcare. Childminders are typically cheaper than nurseries (ours is 4ph). Do you rent?

Tax free childcare will save you 20%.

when your DD gets her free funding will you be able to find another job? what happens if your pension stops.

This is about playing the long game here. Not the short term 12 months only.

Really sorry you are going through this.

I would also play the long game and keep employed. Your dd will get 3yr old funding before long. Then it's the last stretch to school. You could use unpaid parental leave for whole weeks off and keep holiday to cover her sick days? What can your DH do if you have one?

If you remain employed it's easier to negotiate easier hours once she starts school. I've dragged myself through as a lone parent, my dad died then my family moved away so it hasn't been much fun but I'm still standing.

@Wickywickyyow depends where you live. I'm in a nice bit of the southeast and it's £80 per day. The nursery I use is over £90 per day. It's scandalous.

But if you are a low earner then you get up to 85% of your costs paid for childcare

But sorry to hear about your father op, that must be devastating. Like others I would do what I can to stay in work, unless you work in a shortage industry and know you will easily find employment again in a year. I am a lone parent and operating at a net loss until my child turns 3. You might find if you take into account how much you would lose through the career hit it makes more sense to lose money now.

Sorry OP for the situation you're in.

Have you checked that you're not eligible for the 2 year funding?

Sorry for your troubles with your Dad OP. Is half the childcare more than you earn? because half of it is your partner's responsibility. Don't give up your job, even if as others say you have to borrow to pay the childcare - the long term gain/pension etc is important.

I assume your on a low wage, if it would work out less then childcare? If so you might be eligible for 2yo funding if your on uc and earn less then £15400. Even if you don't get funded hours, you might get an increase in universal credit to cover some of the cost, try running your numbers through entitledto benifit calculator to see what you might qualify for.

You've mentioned being sanctioned by UC. So you must already be getting that. If so, UC will cover 85% of childcare costs. A childminder is the way to go and much cheaper (& better IMO) than a nursery.

@passport123 how is half of it ops parents responsibility?

OP I'm so sorry about what you're going through right now

They said partner

@passport123 sorry I mis read! Partner not parents! Whoever pays what, if the money coming into the house is less with 2 people working because of childcare costs it doesn't make financial sense and for some, they are priced out of work.

yes but why should it be her that gives up her whole job? Has she actually asked about reduced hours? could they both drop to 4d/week so only 3 days to pay for? what about her pension - if she stops work will he start paying into a private pension for her? Childcare is not just the woman's problem.

Her partners responsibility, not parents.

Op, do you work full-time currently?

Would you qualify for FEET funding? www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/free-childcare-2-year-olds

Why do people always leave out that childcare costs with Universal Credit are capped at a maximum?

They don't just chuck 85% of the costs at people and wish them well.
Monthly caps: £646.35 for one child; £1,108.04 for 2 or more children.

@passport123 the lower earner tends to give up, no-one said give up because you're a woman.

OP if you do decide to look elsewhere lots of care positions or NHS professionals look for bank staff, if you have someone else that could help with childcare or round dd dad's shift? You effectively pick your own shifts, it can work quite well. Best of luck

And they'll only.pay Ofsted registered child minders.

Of your fees are £80 a day, 5 days a week, 4 weeks a month.

20 x 80 = £1600 a month.

£1600 - the 646 cap

£954 left to pay.

I always hate these posts that say you should only pay half, or why is it always the woman's entire salary that is eaten by childcare? In our house everything is shared, income and outgoings but it's easier to explain a cost in absolute terms. So childcare costing an entire persons salary is more descriptive than breaking it down into percentages. It's hard to justify working when childcare eats up essentially one salary. In my experience, the childcare costs are a joint family expense but when working out what's left after bills, it makes sense to explain it like 'my whole salary is gone on this bill'