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| Minimising the cost of child care
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Our recent Annual Survey revealed that the biggest concern for Australian families regarding child care was the cost. From the 4,380 people who shared their views on Australia's child care system, 60 per cent of respondents chose 'cost' as the one thing that they would change about their child care service.
With 32 per cent of parents spending $300–$400 a week on child care (before rebates), and 20 per cent spending $200–$300, what can we do to minimise these costs and relieve the burden on already stretched families?
Shared care
Increasingly popular, particularly for those looking for outside school hours care, sharing the load with other parents at school or in the local area is a great way to secure free child care. Each taking a turn one day or afternoon a week, you know that your child is getting reliable care in a home environment, maybe even getting that homework done! As well as being free, this method is also a much more flexible option for those that work shift work, removing the 6pm deadline that many parents struggle with.
Grandparents
As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child, and this has never been truer than now. Grandparents now take second spot in types of child care after long day care, with 21 per cent of parents using grandparents as a form of child care.
Grandparents may be eligible for Grandparent Child Care Benefit (GCCB) which helps towards the costs associated with child care for up to 50 hours a week. Unfortunately not everyone in today’s society has family nearby, and some grandparents aren’t able to commit to regular care.
Mixed care
The survey showed that 71 per cent of people use just one type of care. However, mixing the type of care you use each day is another way to minimise your child care costs. Using the more expensive choice of long day care for those days you absolutely need to, but also relying on family members or using family day care or occasional care on those days you can work shorter hours, can help to cut those child care bills.
For reliable outside hours care, some parents have begun to establish groups that split the bill on an afternoon babysitter – someone who can collect all the children from school, take them to one house and help them with homework and an afternoon snack until parents can collect. For some, this works out to be more cost-effective than outside hours care.
Working flexibly
Working more flexibly is a great way to minimise child care costs, fitting your working hours around a partner, working from home, or working shorter days to fit in with a family day care environment. Working flexible hours is also a great choice for those with children in pre-school and school, who can working shorter hours to avoid the additional cost of outside hours care for school-aged children.
With 49 per cent of respondents saying that their request for flexible work options was granted, it looks like some employers are on board with accommodating working parents, but with only 38 per cent of people reporting that their workplace was very flexible and supportive of working parents, it seems that employers still have some ground to make up on accommodating flexible hours. According to the Fair Work Ombudsman, employees have the right to request flexible working arrangements and employers can only refuse these requests on reasonable grounds.
Child-friendly co-working spaces
A relatively new concept, but something that is fast springing up in many capital cities, child–friendly co–working spaces are a fabulous invention for self–employed mums. Each space is different, but most offer a mix of memberships that get you a workspace with a desk, wi–fi and all the usual office facilities, along with a crèche. Perfect for breastfeeding mums and those who want to work but not be separated from their babies, these innovative spaces are providing mums with a real solution.
Read our article on the cost of child care
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