I want to work but is it really possible

[moonstars]

Hi i'm a single mum to 3 children needing childcare if i work. depending on the hours i work i will need childcare for them all. before and after school for 2 of them and all day for the youngest. or even if i could find a job that was just in school hours would only have to pay childcare for the youngest.. But my main worry is the school holidays. i understand i can get help with childcare at 70% up to 300 a week. with childcare being around 7 pounds an hour that would be 21 pounds an hour for 3 children. it feels impossible to be able to pay that even with the help. Any suggestions/ideas. would be great or may be
there is something i'm missing.

[janey68]

First of all, you need to calculate costs over the whole year. You might be out of pocket for the month of August but even on a minimum wage job, you would turn a profit over the entire year- especially as it sounds as if your childcare would be heavily subsidised.
Secondly, the children's father should be contributing to the costs, just as is the case with parent who are together. It's an expense of having children, and as such its as much his responsibility as yours

[forevergreek]

Also consider someone like a nanny. A nanny charges per family and not per child so is cheaper if you have more that one child.

Or an au pair combined with a childminder/ nursery for youngest.

[BackforGood]

Also, £7ph sounds extremely expensive for childcare. Contact your local FIS (Family Information SErvice) and ask them what's available for school age children in the holidays. Don't forget you will be able to take some annual leave then, and presumably so will their father ?

[moonstars]

Hi thank you yes i will contact the FIS had never heard of them so will get googling. and i also need to talk to the childrens school as they have holiday clubs so may even work out better... their father is not around

[ChestyLeRoux]

7 pound an hour is more than double what I pay an hour.Could you not find it cheaper?

[moonstars]

it might be because im in london? im going to contact FIS and see what i can find out

[bumbleandbumble]

7 pounds an hour is cheap/great price where I am in London.

childcare is a fortune!!