I’m a parenting expert and here are six ways to cut childcare costs over the school holidays
THOUSANDS of parents are struggling to cope with soaring childcare costs - with the Easter school holidays approaching, we look at what help is available.
Childcare is a costly business and many parents struggle to balance looking after their kids and earning enough to be able to afford it.
A third of parents now spend more on childcare than they do on their rent or mortgage, according to a 2021 Coram Family and Childcare survey.
It estimates that a part-time, 25-hour nursery place for under twos costs an average of £7,160 a year.
Working parents on Universal Credit can claim up to 85% of childcare costs worth £648 for one child and up to £1,108 for two children.
But the rules have been criticised as unfair, as parents can only claim back money for childcare AFTER they have paid out.
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It's no wonder that many parents struggle to cope with the costs, or are forced to give up work because they can't earn enough to cover the fees.
Parenting expert Hannah Love runs Sleep Well With Hannah from her Berkshire home where she has raised three kids while building up her sleep-training business.
The 43-year-old is a trained paediatric nurse and nutritional therapist who was a nanny for 15 years, and has seen the childcare cost problem from all sides.
Here are her six tips to help ensure the Easter holidays are fun and stress-free without breaking the bank.
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Use your support network
Most mums get to know other local mums from ante-natal classes, NCT, post-natal groups or mum and baby reading or swim sessions at local libraries and pools.
“Other mums tend to be very supportive,” says Hannah. “You should be able to arrange a childcare swap with another working mum you know and trust. You have her children one day and she has yours another.”
It gives you both a day free of kids to really concentrate on work when you need to, knowing your loved ones are in safe hands.
Work while they play
There are various ways to give your kids a fun, safe and interesting time while allowing yourself to get on with work.
“Soft play is a really great thing to do,” reckons Hannah. “Kids love it, the environment is controlled and safe, and you can kill a whole morning there.
";Take your laptop and you can get a lot of work done while keeping an eye on them as they enjoy themselves.”
There are soft play centres all over the country and while it does cost to take your kids there, it’s much cheaper than paying for childcare.
An alternative and totally free option is to take your children to the park. “If you have a laptop, you can work from pretty much anywhere now,” says Hannah. “I don’t know a child that ever wants to leave the park!”
Get creative
There are lots of simple things you can do to entertain kids without needing to supervise them.
Hannah suggests looking for activities that are time-consuming but fun.
“Keep things you can use that they may love that are free, such as delivery boxes, cardboard, cereal boxes and so on. You can move them to outdoors to minimise mess inside, if you have a garden.”
Another good idea is to make them a den, reckons Hannah. “Set up sheets and blankets and make your little ones a den.
“If you can put an iPad in and put a film on, it can keep them quiet for hours. They are much more likely to want to stay in an exciting den than sitting on the sofa.
Get financial help
There is financial help available for parents struggling to cover the cost of childcare.
If you claim Universal Credit, for instance, you could get a refund on childcare costs.
If you work you can claim tax-free childcare of up to £500 every three months for each of your children.
You’ll need to and for every £8 you pay into the account, the government will add £2 to pay an approved provider.
The system has been criticised, however, because the money is paid in arrears, meaning parents have to pay for the fees first and then claim the money back.
Use the grandparents
If you have family nearby, take advantage of their offers to help with childcare.
And bear in mind that grandparents could even earn money by helping you out.
One online calculator found that using grandparents could save some families an incredible £28,000 a year.
They can claim cash towards their state pension and it could be worth hundreds of pounds.
Grandparents may be eligible for extra credits known as “specified adult childcare credits” which effectively increase their state pension payout.
In fact other adult relatives such as an aunt or uncle could also make claims to increase their future state pension. qualify.
Use free childcare
Be sure to take advantage of any free childcare that you're eligible for.
All three to four year old children in England are entitled to 15 hours of free childcare - amounting to 570 hours per year - from the term after their 3rd birthday.
The free allowance is usually taken as 15 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year, but it is possible to take it at a time that suits you.
Working parents may be able to get more help too.
A offers working parents of three- to four-year-olds up to 30 hours free childcare a week.
You'll need to be working at least 16 hours a week on average to qualify, and earning at least the National Minimum wage.
You can with childcare costs you may be eligible for.
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Meanwhile you may be able to claim child tax credits - it's one of the most underclaimed benefits, with thousands of families missing out every year.
And here are the exact dates that Easter benefits including child benefit are set to be paid.
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