childcare

by Kendra Inman

childcare | help and info

If it were ever true, the image of the stay-at-home mum, duster in one hand, mixing bowl in the other, has been consigned firmly to the past by today's parents.

© Getty

More women work today than ever before. Sixty eight per cent of women with a child under 18 were working either full or part-time in spring 2005, according to the latest statistics from the government's research body, the Office for National Statistics. That's compared to 73% of women without dependent children.

The picture varies with the age of the children. Unsurprisingly, the figures show that families with the youngest children are less likely to have both parents in full-time work. Seventy seven per cent of mothers whose youngest child was aged 10 or over were working at least part-time and 71% whose youngest child was aged five to 10, compared to 56% with a youngest child aged under five years old.

Whichever way you cut the cake, at some stage childcare is likely to form part of the work-life balance equation for today's families.

plan ahead

Leaving a child with a carer and charging off to work is often a wrench and, unless parents are happy with their choice of childcare, an already stressful situation can become unbearable.

The trick, say experts, is to give yourself plenty of time to research and plan the type of care that will suit your life. This is especially true for women planning to return to work after having a baby. The office may seem like a dim and distant memory now but those early months of new motherhood will pass in a flash.

Parents who already have children may need to rethink current arrangements to take into account a new baby. Likewise, if a child is starting nursery or school, childcare may need to be changed to fit in with their new routine. Most families will want to help their children adjust to new arrangements gradually.

inside or out

What kind of childcare you choose will depend upon your income, your working hours and your preferences about where you'd like your children to spend their time.

Childcare can be divided roughly into that provided inside the child's own home (via a nanny or au pair) or externally (childminders, nurseries or after-school clubs). Some families will use relatives such as aunties or grandparents to care for children. All childcare solutions have pros and cons and are subject to different levels of supervision and regulation by the authorities.

home

Having your children cared for in their own home has obvious advantages, the main one being that the childcare comes to you. This means parents can bypass the stress of getting a child and their 'gear' ready and delivered before embarking on their journey to work. The care provided by a nanny is particularly favoured by families who work unpredictable or long hours or have lots of young children.

On the downside, having someone share your home can be inhibiting and uncomfortable and a live-in nanny is expensive. Au pairs can only work a limited number of hours and they are unlikely to suit families in full-time work with children under school age. In addition, these options will only be practical for those with an extra room.

... and away

Care options outside the family home are numerous: day nurseries, childminders, nanny shares in other people's houses, relatives, nursery schools, and for older children, after-school clubs. The disadvantages are that travel is usually involved (although life is easier if your company has a workplace nursery) and you have to adhere to start and finish times.

helping hand

Good quality childcare is never cheap but some help is available for working people on low incomes. Working parents who pay for registered childcare can get help with costs – up to a maximum of 70% – via the childcare element of the Working Tax Credit. The total amount you will receive will depend on your income. It can be up to a maximum of 80p for every £1 you pay out in childcare.

There is a limit of £175 per week for one child and £300 per week for two or more children. Eligibility criteria include that you are working 16 hours a week or more and have at least one child in registered childcare. You have to submit details such as your income, how many hours you and your partner both normally work and any benefits you're getting.

More tax relief is available in the form of the Child Tax Credit, a single payment made to the main carer. This is for families with at least one child and with an annual income of up to £58,175, or £66,350 if a child has been born in the current tax year.

More information is available from the Inland Revenue on 0845 609 5000 or visit www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk

a quality act

No parent wants to spend all day at work worrying about whether their child is safe and happy. Although there is no substitute for doing your own research about a placement's suitability, a safety blanket of regular inspections is provided by the government.

In England, responsibility for inspecting childcare is now with early years specialists at Ofsted, the government's scrutiny squad for schools. Day nurseries, pre-school playgroups or nursery schools, crèches, after-school care for the under 8s and childminders all come under the Ofsted www.ofsted.gov.uk umbrella.

In Scotland, these services are registered and inspected by the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care and in Wales by the Care Standards Inspectorate for Wales.

In Northern Ireland, childminders and day care providers are registered with the local Health and Social Services Trust.

In all these countries though, there are some important exceptions – nannies, au pairs, babysitters, childminders who look after children for less than two hours a day for no reward, and relatives such as grandmothers and aunties need not be registered.

In practice, regulation means checking whether or not the carers are suitable to work with children (police checks and other similar checks are carried out in the case of childminders' relatives too). There are checks too on whether the environment is safe and stimulating and whether carers meet agreed standards for care. Once carers pass the checks, they are registered, receive a certificate and are inspected at least once a year (or a minimum of once every 24 months for childminders).

childminders

Childminders are self-employed carers who will look after your child in their own home. Commonly they look after several children at once, although rules govern how many and how old the children can be.

It is among the most cost-effective form of childcare and many parents like the fact that their children are cared for in an ordinary home rather than an institution. They are also able to cater for likes and dislikes and most parents can find a childminder 'on their wavelength'.

Childminders are often a social bunch and children benefit from visits to toddler groups, parks, one o'clock groups, library activities etc.

Many parents use recommendation to find a good childminder. For a full list of local carers, contact your local Children's Information Service (CIS). Details of your local CIS can be found at www.childcarelink.gov.uk, the government website that acts as a gateway to childcare information.

day nurseries

Children from birth to the age of five can be cared for at a private, community, council or workplace day nursery. These often have extensive waiting lists so if you've set your heart on nursery care it is wise to put your child's name down at several establishments in advance.

Draw yourself up a list of questions before you visit (see what to look for) and ensure they're answered to your satisfaction. Another useful tactic is to visit at two different times of the day to get the fullest picture.

nannies

Although the term has a comforting ring about it, the truth is anyone can call themselves a nanny. In practice, many of those who do will have a childcare qualification or substantial experience looking after young children.

The lack of regulation means checking nannies' references is of paramount importance. The Department for Education and Skills publishes a useful guide to employing a nanny called Need a Nanny? which sets out employers' obligations.

au pairs

Au pairs will help with childcare and housework for a maximum of 25 hours a week in exchange for somewhere to live, food, a small wage and the opportunity to learn English. Aged between 17 and 27 years they are allowed to stay for a maximum of two years.

Families with school age children, or where one of the parents is around for some time during the day, find au pairs particularly useful.

after-school/breakfast clubs

At least a third of all children aged 4-13 use after-school care, says the Office for National Statistics. Breakfast clubs allow parents to drop off their children on the way to work but before school starts and will care for children after school, running activities or clubs. Schemes are usually run during school holidays too.

pre-school playgroups

Playgroups offer three-hour-long sessions for children aged between two-and-a-half and five. Most have a 'learning through play' ethos and focus on developing children's social skills. Details of schemes are available from your Children's Information Service (CIS). Many playgroups ask parents to help on a regular rota – so again, these facilities are particularly good if one of the parents is available during the week.

nursery class/school

In contrast to day nurseries, where childcare is the name of the game, the emphasis in nursery schools is on pre-school education. These are for children aged from three years of age and usually run during school term times. There are stand-alone nursery schools and nursery classes within schools. Children can attend for morning or afternoon sessions or for the whole school day.

nursery education grant

The government has allocated funds to pay for a free part-time place in nursery for all all three-year-olds and four-year-olds. The place can be in a nursery class, day nursery, playgroup or reception class. Private nursery schools tend to ask parents to pay the full fee up front and hand back a rebate when the grant comes through.

(June 2003 – resources updated December 2004)

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