Childcare Costs - Twins

[dildals]

Hi,

I am pregnant with twins and, although it is early days, I am trying to get my head around the potential outlay for childcare costs.

I looked at the nursery fees for the nursery that is closest to us (The Villa) which would end up being ?2,400 per month! This would be 2 fulltime places, 8-6 including breakfast and tea. The Villa looks like quite a posh nursery, but if this is representative for nursery fees in the area, it would seem I am better off employing someone.

Do you pay similar amounts at other nurseries? Would a childminder be cheaper? How much would a nanny be roughly?

Is there a website that lists all nurseries/childminders? I have found a few website but none seem to give a comprehensive overview.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[LondonMix]

Southwark provide a list of all nurseries including fees and Ofsted http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200016/childcare/1513/nurseries/

From my friends' experience it appears child minders can be cheaper than nursery so its worth exploring.

I would say the fees at Villa aren't that unusual for the area.

A sole-charge nanny would be more expensive depending on experience but you might find someone at 8 net per hour in the current climate that would work out at about the same but they would probably not have a lot of experience and for a job involving twins that might be a push. If you have a spare room, a live-in would be cheaper and provide greater flexibility.

Good luck and congratulations.

[Carrie]

We used a child minder for our twins - was by far the cheapest option and we liked it because they could mix with other children in a more "homely" environment. Still cost and arm and a leg though and this was years ago!

Congratulations on having twins - if you have not already done so - get in contact wie Dulwich and Distric Twins Club so you can meet (and get advice from) other mums in your situation.

[etta166]

I don't know if it's exactly the same as for twins, but I found that by far the cheapest option for us with two pre-school siblings was a nanny-share. The cost saving was an added bonus for us, because we'd have used a sole-charge nanny anyway because we really wanted home-based child care rather than a nursery. We shared our nanny with one other child from a family living a short walk away.

Nanny-shares are really popular in the area, so there should be quite a few to look into when the time comes.

[Strawbs]

At the nursery we are at it is about ?900 for a full time place so cheaper than Villa. They have a long waiting list so I'd be getting the two babies to be on the list soonish. I am so happy where my son goes, he is really happy and thriving there and I wouldnt send him anywhere else. Happy for you to PM me for details. ps congrats! x

[BellendenBear]

Did you realise that the villa only takes kids from 2?

If you are close to the Villa then you should also check out Camberwell Grove EYC at the top of Camberwell Grove. The council have just changed the fee structure so prices are going up a bit, but they are keeping the 20% sibling discount which is a big help. Not sure how many other nurseries offer this.

You might find that a nanny is cheaper though.

[katgod]

And the Villa would be term time only? Which leaves you with about 18 weeks of the year with no child care? There are lots of different types of nursery - you need to be clearer about what you want - full child care approximately 48 weeks a year (because you are not a teacher and you work full time?) or a social place so you have a break and the children mix? Prices will vary widely depending on whether it is a childcare type place (Dulwich Nursery Bright Horizons, My Favourite Nursery, Gumboots, Nelly's etc) or more of a social thing (most Montessori nurseries, Dulwich Village pre school, Buds etc).

Simply Childcare is a good place to look at nannies. Between ?9 and ?10 per hour net. (ie you pay national insurance and tax on top).

[Dodie]

Hi... having a nanny has been the cheapest option which we have found for our twins. Unless you earn ridiculous amounts, a nursery just isn't affordable, as far as I can see. For twins at the moment, the cheapest we have paid is ?8 per hour but the average seems to be ?10. I would certainly join the twins club, as (amongst many other benefits) this would give you the opportunity to make contact with other parents and get recommendations for good nannies, specialising in multiples.

[oimissus]

the Villa is all year round, closed for a week at Christmas and a week at Easter. From aged 2.

[loverofwine]

I second the thing about Dulwich and District Twins Club. They were a lifesaver for me in the early days and now do a lot for expectant parents too.

My twins are now 8 but at the time we jiggled with childcare. x2 days nursery x2 days grandparents plus grannys help x1 day failing to work from home. You may want to consider being creative with your options rather than just going for one provider.

Congratulations by the way. They are VERY hard work. Especially as first born kids but such fun.

[dildals]

Thanks for all your replies, it has been really helpful.

@Dodie - how would a nanny be cheaper with ?10 an hour (assuming this would be net of tax), that would add up to ?500 a week net, which would be about ?735 gross, whereas nurseries charge about ?6 an hour. Are you doing a nanny share?

FYI - I have already been to one of the Dulwich Twins 'expecting twins' nights, I felt like a bit of an imposter because I was the only one without a massive bump! ;-)

[BellendenBear]

I have sent you a PM

[RoLo1]

Congrats! And worth doing the sums now.

I decided to duck out of the rat race to spend the first few years with my twins, as really it didn't make sense financially anyway when I looked at how much 'profit' I would make per day and per month - once you've totted up childcare, cost of travel to work, your own lunches, things like 'work clothes', plus the hectic pace of life (which frankly I didn't feel I could handle with twins). Can't say I miss work or having bosses breathing down my neck, but know this isn't for everyone - I now have two little bosses. I know many twin mums in the same boat, while those I know who are really high earners all had an older child so a nanny made sense for their circumstances. Having looked at all the options before coming to our decision we would have opted for a child minder, but start researching one early on so you find someone you really like and trust!

Good luck and no doubt you'll find a great solution! At least you can hopefully take a year off to give you a chance to see what works.

[Dodie]

Have PMd you

[dildals]

Thanks all. I am in the lucky position to be able to take a year off, will see how I feel after that. I may be screaming to get back to work after nine months, or will have turned in to an organic carrot alpaca knit earth mother with a twin on each boob age five. Who knows?! ;-)

[Helen GV]

You may find you do both!