The end of maternity leave is drawing near and soon you will be returning to work. Maybe you are feeling really apprehensive about leaving your little one. Perhaps you are excited to get back to work and regain some identity other than being mummy. Maybe some days you are dreading it and others you can’t wait! However you feel about it you’re probably going to need to start looking for childcare.
Unfortunately for most of us, taking baby to work is not possible or practical. For many families the hardest part of returning to work is trusting someone else to take care of your precious little ones. Knowing they are being well cared for can make the transition back to work easier to cope with.
The type of childcare you choose to use will depend on many different things including cost, flexibility and availability. So what childcare is available, what are the pros and cons, and which should you choose?
Types of childcare
Family
Family provided childcare has some major advantages, the main one being that as a grandchild, niece or nephew you can feel pretty confident that your baby will be loved and cared for deeply. They may also be able to spend time with cousins and other family members.
Families can be very flexible when providing childcare. They may be willing to do early starts, late finishes and even overnights to accommodate shifts for example. If your job isn’t a Monday-Friday 9-5 families may be able to do different days on different weeks and perhaps even weekends.
The other undeniable benefit of family providing childcare is the savings. Your relatives may care for your little one at little or no cost, and given the price of registered childcare this could have a significant impact on your family finances. It may even make the difference between being able to return to work or not.
Although there are many upsides to having family care for your baby while you are at work there are some things that you may need to carefully consider. Have you heard the saying ‘what happens at grandmas stays at grandmas’?! Grandparents are renowned for lavishing treats and little gifts on, and perhaps being more lenient with their grandchildren than the parents are. Often we let this slide if they only see each other for a few short occasions each week, but if they will be providing a significant chunk of childcare you may want to make sure that they are on the same page as you when it comes to things like appropriate amounts of tv/screen time, acceptable and unacceptable food and drinks, routines for naps and any other issues that are important to you.
Paying relatives for care
You can pay a close relative (a child’s grandparent, aunt or uncle) a token amount for caring for your baby. If you are paying something approaching the going rate for childminders in your area, it could be considered income. They may be liable to pay income tax on it and you could be classed as their employer and required to pay employers national insurance contributions and perform other employers duties. It’s important to make sure any arrangements you have are not going to land either of you in hot water! In addition, as family based childcare is not registered provision, you will not be able to claim for help towards paying for it.
You need your childcare arrangements to be reliable. If your relative is receiving no pay or only a token amount to care for your child they may be inclined to cancel on you if something else comes up. Of course an annual holiday and the odd wedding or funeral may be manageable but if it happens regularly you might find your annual leave being eaten up just covering gaps in childcare.
The last thing to consider is your family members ability to care for your little one. Are they going to be caring for your child in between their own job? Will they have children of their own at home to care for as well? Babies, toddlers and preschoolers are hard work to look after, if your parents or in-laws are getting older or not in the best of health will they be able to cope?
Nursery
Nurseries are often the first thing that comes to mind when we think about childcare. They are not the right choice for every family but there are many positives to using a nursery.
There will be no shortage of fun, friends or learning for your little one. With qualified childcare professionals, baby rooms, toddler rooms and preschool rooms, and age appropriate equipment and activities your baby will be living it up while you’re bringing home the bacon!
Nurseries have to be registered with OFSTED. This means you can access their OFSTED report online and decide if it’s even worth visiting. Using registered provision means you can take advantage of Tax Free Childcare to reduce your bill. If you are entitled to Universal Credit you may get an additional allowance to cover some of your nursery fees.
Nurseries follow the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) curriculum. This doesn’t mean they’ll be teaching algebra to your one year old, but it does mean they have a framework to follow to ensure your child is progressing as expected and is given plenty of opportunities to learn and discover. They will also give you regular feedback about what your little one has been eating, what they’ve been playing with, any new skills they’ve learnt and many other things. You will also likely receive a multitude of works of art and homemade cards to decorate your fridge with!
Other than bank holidays and a two week break at Christmas, nurseries are usually open year round so you can choose when to take your annual leave. Many are open from 7am to 6pm to cover full and part time workers and your commute. Some may even open at 6.30am if you have a very early start.
Any downsides?
There are some negatives to nursery too. It certainly isn’t cheap with a full time nursery place costing more than the mortgage/rent for many families. While you can choose when to take time off work, you will probably still have to pay for your place even when your little one is on holiday or off sick.
Although some nurseries may be able to offer flexible care (often at additional cost), most will need you to attend on the same days each week. If you need an early place it will cost more, you may also incur additional charges if you are late picking your little one up.
While the days may be action packed your baby might find it very tiring and especially if it is a large nursery they may be a little overwhelmed by all the people, both adults and children.
Sometimes nurseries can find their staff turnover increases. This can be difficult if your little one is often meeting new members of staff and perhaps not having chance to bond with a key worker.
Childminder
Childminders can seem to offer the best bits of family care and the best bits of nursery care. They too are required to be OFSTED registered and follow the EYFS curriculum and you will be able to use financial schemes to reduce the cost like you can with nurseries. Your childminder will give you lots of feedback about your baby’s progress and provide enriching experiences, both home based activities and trips out to playcentres, libraries and more.
Childminders are usually slightly cheaper than nurseries and may be more flexible for shift workers. They may also offer weekend or overnight care on an adhoc basis though not all do.
Childminders care for your little one in their own home. They usually have other children in their care but are limited to a small number. Often the children are a range of ages. They might also have children of their own or even pets. This all contributes to a family feel to the childcare they provide.
If you have older children too childminders can be a good option as many will do pickups from local schools. A good childminder can almost become part of the family as they provide care from infancy to starting school and even beyond.
Some of the downsides to using a childminder are similar to nursery. You will likely need to continue to pay for your child’s place if they are off sick or on holiday. In addition, if your childminder is unwell, unless they have a backup network you may be left without care until they are better. Your childminder will also take some annual leave each year when you will need to find alternative care.
Nanny
A nanny can live in or away from the family home. They are usually full time but part time nannies are also available. A nanny can be a great option if you have a larger family, especially if you have more than one child still in full time childcare. Two nursery places plus wraparound care for a school aged child or two will add up. Some families also ‘nanny-share’ to make the care more affordable. A nanny can be super flexible, covering shifts, weekends and late night baby sitting. They are a single care provider for your little one to develop a strong bond with and as they care for your baby in your own home the familiar surroundings and one-to-one care are probably as close as you can get to being home yourself!
Nannies are expensive though. As their employer you will need to pay employers tax and national insurance contributions. You will also have to organise and pay into a pension for your nanny. If your nanny is on holiday or unwell you will have to find alternative care. You will have to pay your nanny when they’re on annual leave and make sure they are paid sick pay and maternity pay if they’re ill or have a baby while you are employing them.
Nannies can choose to register with OFSTED though not all do. If your nanny is not registered you will not be able to use universal credit or tax free childcare to reduce your bill.
For many families a combination of registered childcare provision and some family provided care is the best of both worlds.
Finding childcare
You can simply Google ‘childcare near me’ or ‘childcare in…’ and you will find links to many local nursery websites and childminders pages. There are websites that list registered childcare providers and often have reviews from parents. Parent reviews can be really helpful when you are narrowing down your options.
Your council will also have a list of registered childcare providers in your area. Their Family Information Service should also have information about the children’s centres in the borough and how to apply for funded places for older toddlers and preschoolers. There will also be information about to set up tax free childcare accounts or apply for assistance through Universal Credit.
Personal recommendations are always useful. Ask friends and family, or why not pop a post up on the mamafit forum asking for suggestions and advice?
Choosing childcare
You could spend hours trawling websites, reading reviews and asking other local mums, but to make the final decision on which childcare you are going to use, you need to get out there and see it.
It is normal to interview a number of nannies and childminders and visit multiple nurseries before you make your choice. There will be some constraining factors outside your control. Some of the options you look at may not have availability on the days/times you need it. Some may just be a little too expensive. For others the location of the childcare makes the daily commute much too long. Try making a list – outdoor provision, small group sizes, meals and/or nappies included, flexibility, total cost, location etc. – of the things that are important to you. You can shortlist your options and then visit in person.
Ideally it’s best to be able to see the setting when the children are around so you can see how the staff/childminder interacts with the children. Ask them questions about the things that are important to you, take a look at the menu perhaps. Have a good look around to see the extent of the equipment. Look at the art on the walls and of course if the children seem happy and stimulated.
Listen to your gut and see if you can imagine your little one settling in here and thriving. It will take a huge weight off your mind when you do go back to work if you feel confident that your baby is safe, cared for and having a ball!
If you are thinking about not returning to work just yet you might like to read my blog about being a Stay at Home Mum.