Childcare Choices: Nanny Vs Nursery

Once the glorious (but sleep-deprived) maternity leave comes to an end, most parents are faced with the dilemma of choosing who will look after their darling whilst they’re hard at work bringing home the bacon.

You’ll have to contend with guilt about leaving your little one (although think of the joy in being able to have a cup of tea uninterrupted and not having snot on your arm all day!), and have the added pressure of choosing the right type of childcare that suits everyone in the family.

With so many different choices for childcare out there, I wonder… how do you choose which suits you and your child best?

Let’s have a look at the pros and cons of hiring a nanny or using a nursery to help you reach your own decision.

Nanny

A nanny will take the role of primary care-giver and is employed by you to take care of your child in your home. There are live-in nannies and day nannies – which pretty much do what they say on the tin.

Advantages of having a (live-in and day) nanny include:

• One to one care for your child so this could mean advanced development in some areas
• More flexibility than a nursery with regards to hours (you can negotiate hours that suit both when you draw up a contract)
• Your child and you enjoying a close bond with your nanny. A nanny quite often becomes part of the family and you since you’re entrusting the most precious thing on earth to this person, they are likely to become a good friend
• If you have more than one child, hiring a nanny can be a cost-effective option

Disadvantages of hiring a (live in- and day) nanny include:

• Having to pay tax, national insurance and a pension (if they’re eligible) for them as you’ll be their employer. However, it’s possible that if you go through an agency to recruit and pay your nanny, they will take away this burden for you – for a fee.
• You’ll have to provide holiday entitlement and consequently have back-up childcare if your nanny is on leave or ill.
• Hiring a nanny is often the most expensive childcare option if they’re looking after just one child.
• Unlike nursery staff, nannies don’t have to be formally vetted and childcare qualifications aren’t necessary.
• You may worry your child could be isolated from other children and that they aren’t developing as much socially as you’d like.

Finance Info

Usually the most expensive childcare option, the average salary for a live-in nanny ranges anywhere from £350 to £450 per week, depending on where you live. For a daily nanny, you’re looking at around £500 per week.

Day Nursery

Nurseries seem to be popping up all over the place at the moment. No wonder: they’re lucrative little businesses and the most popular form of childcare.

Nurseries are great if you want your child to:

• have a solid learning structure
• participate in a wide range of activities with other children and build confidence and social skills from group activities
• be part of an Ofsted inspected environment which allows you to check the nursery’s performance

Also, you pay a monthly fee (which can also be paid, or supplemented, by childcare vouchers until April 2018, or the new tax-free childcare initiative run by the government to help working parents) so the actual payment process is uncomplicated and can be cost-effective if you use one of these tax-efficient perks.

Disadvantages Of The Nursery Setting

The downsides to using nurseries include:

• A rigid time structure. Most nurseries are open 7.30am-6pm, so if you need to get into work super early or if you will struggle for a 6pm pick-up, then nursery won’t suit
• It’s a veritable hotbed for germs, purely because they are so many of the little tiddlers in one place. Be prepared for lots of illnesses in your home.
• If you require an extra day here and there or if you need to swap days, then it might not be possible due to staff and children ratios.
• One to one childcare is non-existent. Most key workers are in charge of three children at a time.

Typically young girls and transient staff work at nurseries. It’s just the way it is. The staff are mainly young and want to move jobs frequently. So be prepared for your child to get used to their key worker one week and then the following week, they’re gone (the key worker, not your child, that is!).

Finance Info

You’re looking at approximately £250 per week for a full-time place – more if you’re in London.

Have a look at this handy table illustrating childcare costs for most types of childcare on a full-time basis:

Source: Childminder and nursery costs from Family and Childcare Trust, 2017.

We’ve heard the advantages and disadvantages of both types of childcare. So who has won the fight?

If you’re prepared to pay more, you’re not fazed by being an employer, you work long or irregular hours and are willing to spend the time interviewing lots of candidates in the search for the right person (drum roll The Apprentice…), then hiring a nanny is a good option for you.

However, if you are a little apprehensive with inviting a stranger into your home to look after your invaluable treasure (and your child!) and you value lots of group activities for social development, then using a nursery is a good option.

In terms of choosing the right nanny or the right nursery, recommendations tend to win hands down. If you get recommended a fabulous nanny by a trusted friend, then snap them up. Similarly, ask around your local area for nursery recommendation, take a look at local nursery reviews and Ofsted reports, as I’m sure you’ll agree: we just want the best start in life for our children that we can possibly buy.