Choosing the right childcare for your child can seem daunting, especially if you’re unsure of what’s on offer in your area, the costs and what, if anything, is government-funded. Hilary Pereira has a rundown of your main options
Childminder
All childminders must be registered and regularly inspected by the appropriate government department. In England it’s Ofsted (the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills). In Wales it’s the Care and Social Services Inspectorate. All registered childminders must have undergone some basic training in childcare and must also hold a current certificate in paediatric first aid. In England they must also follow the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, which means that they must focus on particular areas of pre-school development. The registration process also covers checks for references, training, police record and health, and every prospective childminder’s home must be safe and suitable for caring for young children.
Childminders can care for any age child from newborn up to the age of eight, to a maximum of six children, but must only have one baby under a year old in their care at any time, including their own, with exceptions made for twins or other multiple births.
Pros and cons
Childminders provide a home-from-home environment and your child may become good friends with other children in a minder’s care as the group will be small and intimate. They will often agree to drop off and collect from nursery or school, and may agree to flexible working hours. On the downside, a childminder won’t be able to look after your child if he is unwell, and you must continue to pay her during holiday periods.
What it costs
Childminders can set their own fees, and you must also draw up a contract between you covering holidays, overtime and so on. Typically in England and Wales, expect to pay between £3 to £6 an hour; in Scotland, the average is £2.45 an hour, but you could be charged up to around £4 per hour; in Northern Ireland, the recommended minimum rate is £2.30 per hour, but you could pay up to around £3.50 per hour.
Day nursery
All day nurseries must be registered with the government regulatory bodies and undergo yearly inspection. At least half the staff must have an Early Years qualification. There are different types of day nursery, all of which care for children from infancy (although some won’t accept a baby under six weeks old) up until school-age:
• Private: where the nursery is independent or part of a chain and provides all-day care.
• Community: which are non-profit-making organisations providing care for local families. The fees are considerably lower than at a private nursery, and may be offered on a sliding scale, dependent on circumstances.
• Local authority: where families who need financial or social support can get care for their children, sometimes free of charge. The hours are usually the same as the school day.
• Workplace: where employers make childcare provision at subsidised rates for their employees.
Pros and cons
A good option for parents who need full-time, full-day care (except in the case of local authority nurseries). The downside is that penalties are sometimes charged for late arrival at picking-up time. Some children don’t thrive as well as others in large groups of mixed-age pre-schoolers (usually between 25-40 children), and find it harder to adapt to the more heavily structured day. Others learn very useful skills for school and love the bustle and variety of having lots of different playmates. Nurseries usually offer year-round care, too, but won’t be able to care for your child if he is sick.
What it costs
Fees vary enormously. As an example, in England the average fees for a full-time place for an under-two are around £150 per week (£218 in central London) but providers may charge a lot more, and some families pay up to £425.
Nanny
Nannies can either come daily to your home to care for your child, live with you full-time or be shared with another family to reduce costs. You’ll have to pay your nanny’s salary, making tax and National Insurance deductions yourself. Nannies are not subject to any sort of regulation.
Pros and cons
Because nannies are not subject to regulation and may not necessarily have any childcare qualifications, it’s up to you to make your own police checks, reference checks and carry out any other background research. They are also a costly option. On the other hand, your child may form a strong bond with his nanny, if all works out well she may continue caring for him as he grows up, and she may be more flexible about working hours, especially if she lives in.
What it costs
On average, a live-in nanny in central London can expect to earn £328 per week (net); a daily nanny commands more money, earning on average £408 per week (net) in central London. Some nannies charge a lot more.
Other options
A great number of people use their own parents, in-laws or family friends for childcare. Otherwise there are options for part-time care via pre-school playgroups, nursery schools and nursery classes as well as after-school clubs and playschemes, but most of these are aimed at children aged three years and upwards until school-age. You can find out more information about what’s available in your area at www.childcarelink.gov.uk or by contacting your local Family Information Services (www.familyinformationservices.org.uk).
The future of childcare
Sure Start children’s centres, of which there are now 3,500 in England, are open to all children and parents. There is a charge for childcare services but you may be eligible to benefit either from the free early learning entitlement for three- and four-year-olds and/or through tax credits. You usually have to work for at least 16 hours a week to qualify for tax credits, but may still qualify if you worked 16 hours or more before going on maternity, paternity, adoption or sick leave.
During its time in office, the Labour government initiated a scheme entitling all parents to 12.5 hours per week of free childcare for three- and four-year-olds for 38 weeks of the year. That was due to increase to 15 hours in September.
Michael Gove, the new Education Secretary, has ditched Labour’s rebranding of the department as the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). All government information relating to children’s services now comes under the banner of the Department for Education. The Coalition government has now published its new manifesto, and within its pledges regarding families and children, it states:
• ‘We support the provision of free nursery care for pre-school children, and we want that support to be provided by a diverse range of providers, with a greater gender balance in the early years workforce.’
• ‘We will take Sure Start back to its original purpose of early intervention, increase its focus on the neediest families, and better involve organisations with a track record of supporting families. We will investigate ways of ensuring that providers are paid in part by the results they achieve.’
• ‘We will refocus funding from Sure Start peripatetic outreach services, and from the Department of Health budget, to pay for 4200 extra Sure Start health visitors.’