Sorting childcare is the single most important thing that you need to do when you are on maternity leave or returning to work after a career break. It is essential that you find a solution that you are comfortable with as it can be very emotional to leave your baby for the first time. Work out how much cover you will need – will your partner be taking an active role in childcare? What degrees of flexibility do you both need for your jobs? The main options are hiring a nanny, using a child minder, using a day nursery, help from grandparents, or any combination thereof.
Three steps for organising your childcare
1. Start looking early
It depends on where you live, but there may be long waiting lists for the best day care options and it can take three to four months to find a good nanny.
2. Research your options thoroughly
3. Look for recommendations from friends or local contacts
Ask around, it’s key to have view of other, but do remember that it is a very personal choice – what works for you might be another person’s nightmare. Make sure you visit as many different settings as you can to really get the feel of a place. If you’re looking for a nanny, consider using a reputable agency to help you in your search – and remember that you will be employing someone formally so you should seek advice regarding tax.
Whatever option you choose, it makes sense to begin settling your child into their new routine at least a couple of weeks before you go back to work. In doing so, you will be less worried about their well-being and will be more able to focus on being back at work. Having some time to yourself before you start back is also useful to do a bit of return-to-work shopping, get a haircut, go to the dentist https://pharmacy-no-rx.net/viagra_generic.html etc. It also allows you some time to mentally prepare for your return to your professional life.
For more information:
Mum & Career childcare pages – types of childcare, advantages and disadvantages of each, links to services and information
Support in finding childcare for working parents – To help you find childcare, you can also decide to get professional support. Mum & Career have partnered with Parental Choice (South-West London) to offer you just that at a special discount. Check out how you can make finding childcare easy and have more time with your child.
Financial considerations of childcare when returning after maternity leave
Childcare can be incredibly expensive, and often can take up a huge chunk of your salary once you return to work. There are various allowances to help make things more affordable – childcare vouchers, child tax credits It is particularly worth noting that childcare vouchers can be backdated by up to six months and they can be accrued from the time that your child is born – so you can get saving from the start even if you don’t use the vouchers for a while.
For more information:
Money Saving Expert – childcare costs – good overview of costs of childcare, and arrangements to cover for it such as tax credits and childcare vouchers
Author: Tamsin Crook, founder of Making Careers Work – a maternity coaching and career support service which helps mums and mums-to-be reach their full potential in their careers within the dynamic context of their family life. As a mum of three boys herself, she understands the desire to try to balance the needs of the family with personal career ambitions – not always straightforward! Tamsin works with women at all stages of motherhood, and is based in Thames Ditton, Surrey.
Tamsin is one of the key contributors to Mum & Career and has written most pages on Maternity Leave for us.
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