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Due to go back to work soon? Here's what every mum should know about childcare choices, and a handy guide to making your decision.
It’s likely that when you were a baby, your mum was at home looking after you full-time. How things have changed. Statistics show that now, almost 70% of mums with a baby less than a year old goes back to work. Even though the Government positively encourages us to go back to work, by offering tax credits and access to childcare vouchers, there’s still a lot of bad press about working mums. Barely a month goes by without some study or another claiming that putting babies into childcare is bad for them.
But whatever the studies say, most of us don’t have much option – it’s back to work or the mortgage doesn’t get paid. So here’s our guide to becoming a mum who works both in and outside the home, to help make those incredibly difficult choices that little bit easier for you.
CHILDMINDERS
Essential facts
A childminder minder will look after your baby in her own home and is only allowed to care for up to six children under the age of eight and only three under five. They must be registered and inspected by the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED).
Cost
You will need to negotiate hours, terms and conditions with your childminder. Average: £2.50 per hour per child but can be anything between £1.85 and £6 per hour.
Advantages
Childminders are more flexible about hours if you are running late from work and your baby is likely to get more one-on-one attention. Your baby will also be in a family home.
Disadvantages
Your childminder may have limited space, and few facilities, to keep your baby entertained and your baby will spend a lot of time with a few people. You may find it difficult to approach your childminder if he or she is doing something you wouldn’t do yourself and if your childminder is sick, or on holiday, you will have to take time off work to look after your baby.
Don’t forget!
Ask for the childcarer’s up-to-date registration, public liability and first aid certificates.
Check all rooms and garden are insured; otherwise your child will be excluded from those areas. Agree on feeding, learning, TV watching and discipline policies.
Any contract should cover hours, pay, sickness and holiday pay.
KEY QUESTIONS for your CHILDMINDER
How long have you been childminding?
What training have you done?
Why do you like this job?
How long do you intend to do it for?
How many other children will you oversee alongside my child, and how old are they?
Can I have the phone numbers of other parents you work for so I can follow up references?
Have you undertaken any quality assurance schemes?
Do you belong to a childminder network?
Do you charge for sick days?
Ask to see if all the rooms in the house are clean and tidy.
Where will your child sleep? Make sure it’s quiet.
How do you spend the day and how do the other children’s schedules fit in with my child? (Find out simple things, such as when she or he does shopping, banking and chores).
Do you go out on day trips? Where to?
Do you have properly-fitted car seats?
What kind of meals and drinks do you give the children?
Do you keep a file about a child’s progress?
How many other adults will be in the house?
Who will be coming and going?
Will you agree to a trial run (say a couple of mornings) to see how it’s going to work out?
M&B HELP FOR YOU!
For more info call Childcarelink on 0800 096 0296 or visit www.childcarelink.gov.uk, your local Children’s Information Service [CIS], who will have a list of childminders in your area.
Or call the National Childminding Association on 0800 169 4486 or log onto www.ncma.org.uk for more information on childminder networks.
Look out for ‘Super’ childminders, who have a CACHE Level 3 certificate in Childminding Practice [CCP].
NANNIES
Nannies are employed by you and usually provide the childcare in your own home. They can live in or out and usually fit in with irregular working hours. Some also do some housekeeping and other chores, depending on what you negotiate with them. Some families share the cost by sharing the nanny with another family.
Wages range from £127 to £400 per week, depending on hours, experience, where you live and whether they live in. You will also have to pay tax and National Insurance contributions. Other costs include holiday and sick pay.
Nannies will fit around your day, so if you work erratic or long hours, it may be the solution for you. You will also have a big say on what you would like them to do with your child on a daily basis as you are their sole employer, and your baby will be in a familiar environment.
You may find it invasive having someone living with you all the time and as you are the employee, you will have to negotiate contracts, hours, rules etc and pay for holiday and sick pay. Your baby may form a strong attachment from the one-to-one care and find it upsetting when your nanny leaves. Some nannies are not inspected by OFSTED.
To check they have a First Aid Certificate and Childcare Approval Scheme letter.
Put everything in writing (hours, job description, length of employment, sick/holiday pay etc). You must take out employer’s indemnity insurance in case of an accident. If choosing a nanny, always use a reputable nanny agency and check references. Talk to at least two previous employers.
KEY QUESTIONS to ask your NANNY
What qualifications or training do you have?
Have you been approved through the Childcare Approval Scheme?
What kind of experience do you have?
Why do you enjoy the job?
Why do you want this particular job?
How would you organise my child’s day? And help them achieve developmental goals?
Will you keep a food and day diary?
Where would you take my child for days out?
How do you feel about early starts/late finishes?
Can you babysit in the evenings?
What’s your policy on potty training, feeding, teaching right from wrong?
If you nanny is living in:
How will you spend your days off? You need to be clear about boyfriends staying over, issues like smoking and use of telephone etc.
If your nanny lives in, you’ll be expected to provide them with a room and food on top of their salary.
For details of the Childcare Approval Scheme visit www.childcareapprovalscheme.co.uk
Call the National Childbirth Trust on 0870 444 8707 for local branches with a nanny share register.
Visit the Association of Nursery Nurses [ANN] on www.anauk.org
Read the ‘Need A Nanny’ guide: www.surestart.gov.uk
Ads for nannies can be found in your local paper, through nanny agencies (who may charge a fee for a list of suitable nannies, or on www.nannyjob.co.uk
DID YOU KNOW?
Parents in the UK pay 75 per cent of the costs of childcare, compared to our European counterparts who contribute only 25-30 per cent of the costs. Jealous? Us?
DAY NURSERIES
A day nursery provides care and education, usually for children between the ages of six weeks and five years. Opening times tend to coincide with a standard working day – 8am to 7pm on weekdays, 50 weeks of the year. You can send your child full or part-time.
Nurseries are regularly inspected by OFSTED and children will be grouped together by age and looked after by carers according to specified staff/children ratios to ensure your child gets the attention they need.
On average £197 (in London) and £148 (elsewhere) for a full-time week for children under two, but rates will vary. Your local Children’s Information Service will be able to give you up-to-date local costs.
Staff are qualified and each day is centred on structured activities with equipment and stimulation to help with your baby’s development. There will also be lots of other babies and children around to help your little one become more sociable and experience new things.
Hours are very rigid – most nurseries charge more for out of hours, so you’ll need to make sure you will be able to leave work on time or have a back-up plan if you do have to work late. Your baby won’t get one-on-one attention – if your baby is three months to two years old the ratio is one member of staff to three babies. Also, your baby won’t be allowed to go to nursery if he’s sick, which means you will have to take time off work to look after him until he’s better.
Find out whether the nursery operates a key carer system – whereby each child is assigned to a particular member of staff. Go back for a second ‘viewing’ and take your child with you to see how they get on with other children, staff and in the surroundings.
KEY QUESTIONS for your NURSERY
What is the ratio of carers to children? (Remember the rules: for under twos, it’s three children per carer; for two year olds, four children per carer and older children, eight children per carer)
What is the daily routine?
Where will my child eat/play/nap?
Ask a member of staff to walk you round, room by room.
Look around – is it clean, light and big enough?
Are the children well supervised?
Do they look happy and purposeful?
Is there a lot going on?
Look for projects and drawings up on the walls. What about stimulating toys and books on show?
Will your child be taken off the premises? Ask for examples of where.
Are nutritious meals provided?
Will you keep a daily record of what they’ve done?
Do you offer school pick-ups and out-of-school care? Some nurseries will do this.
Are there penalties if you’re late to pick up your child?
Contact your local Children’s Information Service (via ChildcareLink 0800 096 0296) for a list of local day nurseries or the National Day Nurseries Association: call 0870 774 4244 or visit www.ndna.org.uk.
You may be entitled to Maternity Allowance from the Government, even if you don't qualify for statutory Maternity Pay!
FAMILY CARERS
To keep the costs down and also have someone you know and trust looking after your child you may find that relatives or close friends are the option you would rather go for. You won’t be in the minority – it’s estimated that up to half of all working parents rely on their parents to look after their children.
KEY ISSUEs to talk through with your FAMILY CARER
Do you feel confident about your first aid skills and is your home baby proof?
Can you be flexible about working hours or would you rather decide on a set weekly routine?
Do you think you'll be able to keep up with the pace of a small child or children?
How would you feel about rearranging your holidays to look after your grandchild/nephew or dropping other commitments at short notice?
Will you be able to look after my child in the way I want, or do you think it's fair to establish your own guidelines and behaviour rules?
Will you find going to a baby or toddler group where all the women are much younger than you difficult to deal with?
Will you be able to restructure your day around my childcare needs?
What impact will looking after my child have on your own needs, work and social life?
If you've been retired for a while, you may need to restructure your days and be more organised. How difficult will this be for you?
What would be appropriate payment (financial, or in the form of chores, gardening, DIY or so on) for your time and commitment?
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