Childcare costs

 The real cost of childcare are not just the Chilcare Costs and Daycare Costs.

I would like to have a part time job, however cannot afford to. Why you ask? Well it is the real childcare costs that is the cost.

If I was to get a part time role or even a full time role, I would need to commute to the city. This would make me have to hire a nanny or carer to drop kids at pre-school, pick them up and to stay with them before I leave work and after school. No guarantees on when you get home from the city, traffic, meetings, and unscheduled delays can cause a late time home. So a nanny would be preferable.  So the costs of chidcare are not just the direct childcare costs.

So to work I would need a nanny/carer, then there are costs for pre-school, getting to and from the job, clothes, lunch, petrol, parking and probably others that I have not thought of. By the time you add up costs for a nanny/childcare and pre-school it is more affordable to stay at home to look after the kids.

It is a pity that there are not subsidies that help with costs to care for kids, that will enable parents re-join the work force. There are so many parents that are unable work due to financial reasons. The more skilled people that are out of the workforce will only disadvantage the country and organisations as well and of course the parents who want the next job.

On the news the other day there was a woman who said that she pays over $100 a day for care. I think it was just for one child, so in my case this would need to be doubled. In my area it was just under $100 for both the girls to be cared for; this was for a 6 hour day. A 6 hour day would not be ample enough for working in the city. Start time would be 8.30 or 9am, best to be there for 8.30am. Travel time is 2 hours on the train to get to Central from Katoomba, which is assuming that the job would be in the city and not North Sydney or Ryde for example. Most likely it would be best to drive rather than catch the train, driving would allow you not be bound by train strikes and allow you to get home quicker.

So if I needed to get into the office at 8.30am every morning I would need to leave at about 5am or at the latest by 5.30am to make sure that you are in by 9am. This would mean that you would have to have a nanny to be there for kids as mine would still be fast asleep. They get dropped off at school for 9.15am but need to be driving in the car by 9am to get to the pre-school in time.

I am not working to not earn any money or to be trying to find money to pay carers. The lady that mentioned that she pays over $100/day for childcare says that she would rather work and pay for care to ensure her career later. She believes that it is harder to get a job the longer you are out of the workforce. I do agree with her; however I don’t have the money, family help or friends to step up and allow me to get the job.

Below are some articles that have been in the news recently:

• Parents fork out 11 per cent more for childcare
• In defence of high childcare cost

Do you manage to work and afford to have kids in care as well? How do you manage to do it? My husband and I cannot see how to do a job and not be in a negative way financially. Currently the best thing for us is for me to stay home and look after the girls. Once kids are in school all week, maybe the part time role will present itself? Do you struggle with the costs of childcare, or don’t care as you see it as an investment in you and your career? Send in your comments.