For What It’s Worth
“I went freelance to save on childcare costs.”
By Noteworthy contributor
For What It’s Worth
“We can't afford more kids, due to childcare costs.”
I always wanted four children. Due to cost, we have to leave it at two.
13th August 2024
I have two children, the youngest is six months old. When I go back to work, it’s going to be really tricky. I really won’t be “making” much money.
Our nursery bill is around £1,000 a month – part time for one child. I have to think seriously about whether it makes sense to go back to work.
I put my daughter in nursery because I felt strongly that I wanted to go back to work. But I was also finding I really needed some breaks from childcare.
I like my job and I’m quite a sociable person. And thankfully my company is very open-minded and keen on progressing women.
The children’s grandparents are great and babysit one day a week – but to be honest I don’t think they should have to! A lot of friends rely on help from family.
I might go back just because it’s important for me to work, but it shouldn’t be the case that parents end up essentially working for nothing!
I will likely look at freelancing in the future for the flexibility. I like the idea of having a balance of working and childcare.
The decision to have more children is now logical over emotional. I always thought I’d have four. In reality, I honestly don't know how we’d do it.
Having children is a biological desire for many – but it’s becoming unaffordable. Culturally, it should be a bigger priority. Parents should be able to do the jobs they want to do.
Illustration credit: Emanuel Santos
How much does childcare cost?
The average cost of childcare varies depending on where you are in the UK, but not by much. Here's the 2024 data from Coram, a national family and childcare charity. Northern Ireland is not included in their data because their childcare funding system is different to England, Scotland and Wales, which makes it difficult to draw direct comparisons.
| Country | Average childcare cost for a two year old (50 hours a week at nursery)* |
|---|---|
| England | £290.77 |
| Scotland | £260.72 |
| Wales | £258.32 |
| Average for England, Scotland and Wales | £288.13 |
*50 hours a week usually equates to a full-time nursery place, which is what parents would need if both are working Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm.
This means that on average, parents are paying about £1,240 a month or almost £15,000 a year for a full-time nursery place for one child.
The most expensive place for childcare is inner London, with an average cost of £430.75 for 50 hours a week for a two-year-old. The cheapest place is the East Midlands with an average of £246.76, but even that works out at more than £1,000 a month for a full-time nursery place.
You can find out what help you could get with childcare costs by using the government's free calculator.
Looking to manage your money as a family?
Starling offers a free debit card for kids, connected to a Starling current or joint account.
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