# Childcare costs and Taking a career break to look after children



## BlueStar (Dec 26, 2008)

Hi Everyone,
DH and I are prospective adopters, and we're doing a bit of research to build our budget planner when we're on statutory leave and when I'm working part time.  I projected I could have up to a year off to look after the little one.  We've asked for 0 to 4 boy or girl.  After a year or 14 months at most, I will return to work to go part time 21 hours a week.
I've been researching my employer's policy and they do have career breaks and childcare vouchers and a good adoption policy too.  
My questions are:
How long did you plan to take off for your adopted child? Any comments about what your SW said at the time and what did happen, did it work out as planned? Did you have more or less time?  
On average how much is child care per hour?  Where I am I think it's £3.50 per hour.  
Thanks 
BlueStar


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## ♥JJ1♥ (Feb 11, 2006)

Good Luck - my friend is in the process of adopting atm and her SW advised her to take at least a year off she is approved for a baby under 2 yrs and is hoping to be matched with a 10 month old. She works for the NHS and get a good adoption leave policy. 
We live in central london so childcare is £10-15 Per hour minimum. (My friend's wife worked as an unqualified nanny and she was paid £12 per hour to child mind in their house -placed by an agency so the parent paid agency fees as well- and £14 per hour to dog walk! so she became a dog walker.


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## Old Timer (Jan 23, 2005)

Hi

Realistically you need to be prepared to be flexible to the child's needs - that is what SWs will want to hear, not 'I can only take x off'

My DS came home at 27 months and I could have gone back after 6 months but chose not to until he'd been home 12 months, I used the 6 months to get him used to nursery and build up his hours there.  

My DD came home at 14 months and other than my Mum I've not left her with anyone else and she has been home 12 months next month.  I am hoping to start her at nursery for a few hours a week after Christmas but have been made redundant so am planning to try and stay home until she is in preschool next September.  She has needed me at home longer than my DS so being made redundant has worked out in my favour really.

Childcare costs vary hugely depending on where you are and what type of childcare you use.  Childminders tend to be cheaper but you may feel that LO being with 1 person while you work could confuse her as to who her primary carer is.  The private nursery my DS went to is about £5 per hour, its a good family run smaller nursery (about 20 children).  There are others local to me that are bigger and charge approx £50 a day and some of the bigger ones will stipulate a minimum if X sessions per week which may not be great to start of with.  The term after LO turns 3 you will be entitled to 15 hours free nursery/pre-school which helps!

May be worth doing a bit of research on childcare and costs in your area.  If you can speak to people about their views on places it will help you to get a feel for a place before even visiting them.  You may also find you have to get a name down very early on in placement to get the hours you want.

OT x


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## BlueStar (Dec 26, 2008)

Thanks for your replies <3JJ1<3 and Old Timer.

We're based in the Eastern Counties - I will ask around friends and neigbours to get an idea.  When we said previously we planned to take up to a year off maybe more but we will have to discuss further when the time arises, they wanted us to discuss further now - we've only just started our home study - so it's impossible to know what our circumstances are like.  I just found out off my employer, they don't do career breaks after all, so I would have to leave my job if I needed a couple of years off for LO. Or DH would have to leave his job.  I think we would need to discuss it more in depth at the time, but based on our incomings and outgoings and our savings we have - we can afford me to take a year maybe slightly more, but I wouldn't want to give up my job - as they're a very good employer and very supportive for families, so we'd want me to stay there - but if I had to sacrifice my job for LO I would - but we have committments.  It's hard communicating this to our SW - but in the real world - there are a lot of people fighting for one job, I would like to keep mine - I've been very lucky so far..they're such a good employer, I plan to go back part time after the year, and there is additional unpaid parental leave I could have when needed.  I think maybe they want our thought processes behind this, and to see that we would sacrifice our jobs for LO if our circumstances allow for it to happen.


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## julesF (Apr 7, 2009)

My DH took the leave and after a year went back part time, 3 days a week, we are considering him doing 4 days a week after christmas. 


3.50/hr is cheap child care. you are entitled to child care vouchers and there are also free nursery places.


you can never judge how long it is going to take, we initially thought DH would be off 6 mnths but he is still attending medical appts for speech, physio etc


our SW just wanted to know we had thought about all eventualities, they are against putting kids that have been into child care so you can return to work as they become very unsettled, so make sure you stress it depends on how you bond,


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