Childcare: What does it cost?
A report from the Family and Childcare Trust has revealed that many mums and dads in this country are paying more for the care of their children than they are for their mortgage
With child care places costing between £7,000 and £11,000 per year, how do you budget for your Little Darlings’ daily care?
How To Pay For It
All UK parents are entitled to Child Benefit, though you may choose not to claim if you or your partner earns over £50K per year. This gives you £20.30for the first child and £13.40 for each subsequent child. You may also claim staff childcare vouchers from your employer. A proportion of this is tax and National Insurance free. See www.gov.uk/child-benefit. You can also use childcare vouchers to pay for a registered Childminder. They can be used to pay for children up to the age of 15.
Free Childcare
All three and four-year-olds are entitled to 15 hours of free early education for 38 weeks of the year until they reach school age. The Government has also announced that some two-year-olds can access free care in certain circumstances.
“All parents can claim child benefits – check your entitilement.”
Where To Find Information
You could get extra tax credits to help pay some of your childcare costs while you’re working.You could get up to £122.50 a week for one child and up to £210 a week for two or more.You can’t claim all the costs and how much you get depends on things such as your income.The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) helps employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups, including children. It replaces the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).
What are the costs?
Nanny
£7-£15 per hour depending on experience
Au Pair
£80-£100 per week for pocket money and extras
Granny
Usually free through expect to pay expenses
Childminder
£3.50-£6 per hour
Nursery
£800-£1300 per month for a full time place.
Trying to figure out which childcare option is the best for you? Should you get a nanny, or childminder? Does Granny get involved, or do you have a nursery in mind? We’ve got more information on all of these conundrums here!
