alton

Hi,

If both parents are working, how do you manage especially if the kids are still young? Do you hire a helper, baby sitter, join a playgroup? I just wonder.

We are currently working now. If we finally settle in Canada, does that mean that one of us has to stop working?

Thanks.

Grah

Well depends on the kids ages, and your work schedule but,
There is a before and After clubs at some schools, there's some clubs that pick up the kids from school give them a time to do home work and then do Class. Work collegue's son is in a Karate club.

You also have school buses that pick up and drop off almost to your door and then well depends on your child I think is 10 legally allowed on their own and 12 to look after some one under 10.

You can hire an older kid to look after them.

Maple Leaf

Tehy can go to child care or after hours school care..
what happens with them now..? i mean if you are both working then they must be getting looked after someway. Parents work in Canada too and children get looked after.

iaink

The problem with child care is that its expensive (relative to wages) and its not a tax write off here yet. We worked out my wife would have to be earning upwards of $20/hr before it becomes cost effective for her to return to work... not that she wants to anyway.

With older (school age) kids its a bit better as school covers most of the gap and expenses are less for the out of school hours, with the options described previously. I know a couple who aranged to work opposite shifts so someone was home with the kids, which sort of works, bit they dont see very much of eachother

Child care, like immigration issues, is slowly creeping up on the political horizon, so hopefully something will be done soon to make life easier for those who need two incomes to make ends meet. Heres hoping anyway!

Iginla

I work 12.5 hour days and our kid goes to childcare on Mondays and Saturdays.

I have him on Tues/Wed/Thurs and work my way around it on the days off and alternative weekends to make up a 33.24hr week. 4days one week 2 days the next and I have to work every alternative weekend.

We pay $25/day (0730-1530) which I think is a complete bargain and think our minder is excellent.

Nannies for whatever the reason we have never entertained but I believe you need to be in the big money bracket to even consider.

ClareBC

I have found that childcare is easier to get in my Vancouver city than it ever was in England!

Currently paying $6ph for before and after school care (it is with a fantastic family daycare provider - in UK we'd call her a child minder). We lucked out with our one that is for sure. She worked with street kids before starting her family, and is continually taking evening courses to keep up to date with child development/pyschology/discipline etc.

Fees range from $10ph to $3ph (depending on whether it is a family daycare or a subsided local authority one.

Do note:... ratios are a lot higher than in UK (eg my childminder can have 7 children excluding her own - that is a lot of kids (and does happen during the summer months) It is not as regulated. Oh, and there are a lot of unlicensed daycares around.

But, with a baby - prepared to have to sign up early for a place! We are looking at paying $1200pm for a baby space near where I work. We get tax back on the first $7.5k (or thereabouts) which is better than nothing - but when we have two kids in the daycare system we'll be at that amount in the first 4 months!!

Clare

Maple Leaf

does the child care tax thing depend on where you are..? cos my fiance claims his in his tax every year. He is in BC~

alton

We have a helper. We live in Hong Kong and hiring a helper is common here.

ella69

Both my kids are in Day nurseries and it does cost an arm and a leg. You can get some cheap childcare and sometimes they are very good, though I found out that 90% are not registered