Childcare advice
#16
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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
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.
#18
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Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,786
Re: Childcare advice
Yeah right, us childless types already lose out on every tax break going, now you want us to buy your kid an ipad?!
#19
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.
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.
#20
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
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.
#21
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Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
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Re: Childcare advice
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.
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.
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.
#22
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,786
Re: Childcare advice
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.
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.
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.