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Childcare advice

Childcare advice

Old Feb 3rd 2016, 2:52 pm
  #16  
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Default Re: Childcare advice

Might be of interest to the OP - Shift workers may pay more for childcare under Federal Government reforms

SHIFT-workers with young children may be forced to pay more for childcare under proposed Federal Fovernment reforms, according to the peak body for in-home family day care.

Family Day Care Australia has told federal Senators the hourly fee cap the government wants to introduce will unfairly impact parents using childcare while they work weekend, night or early morning shifts.

The peak body — which represents 25,000 childcare workers caring for over 200,000 Australian children — says the new $10.70 benchmark hourly price for family day care services does not factor in the additional costs involved in caring for children outside normal working hours.



It also occurred tome while reading the article, is this fair on some of the children - a 32-year-old prison nurse and single mum from Ipswich in Queensland, relies on family day care to look after her six-year-old daughter Amia until she finishes her shift at 10pm or 11pm at night.. So can someone explain to me (as a non-parent) how this kiddie is getting decent sleep if she is being picked up from day care at 10 or 11pm? Is that good for a 6 year old?

Thats what the world of Aussie childcare seems to be though, so think carefully befre submerging your kids in it, jhbsr

Last edited by Pollyana; Feb 3rd 2016 at 2:58 pm.
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Old Feb 3rd 2016, 3:43 pm
  #17  
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Default Re: Childcare advice

Originally Posted by rasen78
But this is going to have to increase as DS will be moving up to high school next year and we have to buy an iPad
One of my coworkers tried to hit us up for a donation for his kid's fundraiser so they can buy an iPad for his 5 year old. AHHAHAHAHAHNOPE
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Old Feb 3rd 2016, 3:49 pm
  #18  
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Default Re: Childcare advice

Originally Posted by msmyrtle
One of my coworkers tried to hit us up for a donation for his kid's fundraiser so they can buy an iPad for his 5 year old. AHHAHAHAHAHNOPE

Yeah right, us childless types already lose out on every tax break going, now you want us to buy your kid an ipad?!
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Old Feb 3rd 2016, 10:28 pm
  #19  
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Default Re: Childcare advice

Dug out our school invoices for the past year:

Term 1 was just $80 for the voluntary contribution.
Term 2 was $206. $80 voluntary, $10 cross country, $28 excursion to Bradley's Head, $18 music program and $70 textbooks and requirements (WTH is requirements?!).
Term 3 was $200. $80 voluntary, $8 athlectics carnival, $18 music program, $45 sport program, $9 SPECTRA science entry and $40 P&C building fund .
Term 4 was $148. $80 voluntary, $40 P&C building fund and $28 for end of year party.

So school fees were $634 for us last year - for one child. That doesn't cover the endless one-offs - school disco tickets, raffle tickets, gold coin donations for mufti day, grandparents day, whatever else they can make up to tap parents. Neither does it include the extra curricular stuff First Born is involved in (things like band), which are invoiced separately as they're handled by the P&C, rather than the school.

Like Rasen said, school uniforms are the big money spinner. There's obviously a winter and summer version, so you have to have two sets. At DD's school, summer dresses are $45 each, winter dresses are $40 and the shirt to go with it is $20 (and they make sure you can't just pick up a cheap Target shirt, because it's a Peter Pan collar, rather than a normal collar. Urgh.). A fleece is $35, the school backpack is $60 (nope, you can't just have any old bag), a hat (no hat, no outside play) is $13 and a sports polo top is $21.

ETA: Band fees are $93 per term, so $372 per annum. Then there's the annual workshop which costs $35, the annual band camp which is $150 and the uniform, which is $40. The school-based extracurricular stuff can really add up.

Last edited by Geordie George; Feb 3rd 2016 at 10:36 pm.
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Old Feb 4th 2016, 7:21 am
  #20  
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Default Re: Childcare advice

Originally Posted by Pollyana
Might be of interest to the OP - Shift workers may pay more for childcare under Federal Government reforms

SHIFT-workers with young children may be forced to pay more for childcare under proposed Federal Fovernment reforms, according to the peak body for in-home family day care.

Family Day Care Australia has told federal Senators the hourly fee cap the government wants to introduce will unfairly impact parents using childcare while they work weekend, night or early morning shifts.

The peak body — which represents 25,000 childcare workers caring for over 200,000 Australian children — says the new $10.70 benchmark hourly price for family day care services does not factor in the additional costs involved in caring for children outside normal working hours.



It also occurred tome while reading the article, is this fair on some of the children - a 32-year-old prison nurse and single mum from Ipswich in Queensland, relies on family day care to look after her six-year-old daughter Amia until she finishes her shift at 10pm or 11pm at night.. So can someone explain to me (as a non-parent) how this kiddie is getting decent sleep if she is being picked up from day care at 10 or 11pm? Is that good for a 6 year old?

Thats what the world of Aussie childcare seems to be though, so think carefully befre submerging your kids in it, jhbsr

It's pretty much the same in the UK for someone in a similar situation though Polly. If you are a single parent/lone parent with no family nearby, you have to rely on childcare.

And in the UK, childcare is far more expensive. Child tax credits are means tested and child benefit is now means tested. The only universal system in the UK is the childcare vouchers scheme, which is a salary sacrifice system and being in receipt of those, can affect any tax credits. Here, even if you don't qualify for child care benefit, the child care rebate is available to all (to a maxmimum per child) and at 50%, that's a pretty good deal.
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Old Feb 4th 2016, 7:25 am
  #21  
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Default Re: Childcare advice

Originally Posted by rasen78
It's pretty much the same in the UK for someone in a similar situation though Polly. If you are a single parent/lone parent with no family nearby, you have to rely on childcare.

And in the UK, childcare is far more expensive. Child tax credits are means tested and child benefit is now means tested. The only universal system in the UK is the childcare vouchers scheme, which is a salary sacrifice system and being in receipt of those, can affect any tax credits. Here, even if you don't qualify for child care benefit, the child care rebate is available to all (to a maxmimum per child) and at 50%, that's a pretty good deal.
I guess so, except that many people - like the OP - have more family and friends to help out.
Can't help feeling sorry for kids like the one in the article -wonder how often she gets a full nights sleep without being woken to be taken home in the middle of the night.
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Old Feb 4th 2016, 7:26 am
  #22  
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Default Re: Childcare advice

Originally Posted by rasen78
It's pretty much the same in the UK for someone in a similar situation though Polly. If you are a single parent/lone parent with no family nearby, you have to rely on childcare.

And in the UK, childcare is far more expensive. Child tax credits are means tested and child benefit is now means tested. The only universal system in the UK is the childcare vouchers scheme, which is a salary sacrifice system and being in receipt of those, can affect any tax credits. Here, even if you don't qualify for child care benefit, the child care rebate is available to all (to a maxmimum per child) and at 50%, that's a pretty good deal.
I guess so, except that many people - like the OP - have more family and friends to help out. I think the point I was trying to make is that the OP seemed to think things would be different - like school holidays not meaning weeks of School Clubs/care options
Can't help feeling sorry for kids like the one in the article -wonder how often she gets a full nights sleep without being woken to be taken home in the middle of the night.
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Old Feb 4th 2016, 1:48 pm
  #23  
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Default Re: Childcare advice

Originally Posted by Pollyana

Yeah right, us childless types already lose out on every tax break going, now you want us to buy your kid an ipad?!
Yeah that was some cheek to hit us up to buy his kid an iPad. Did I mention that we were fifo workers at the time... buy your own iPad!
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