Childcare help for part time student?

[BellaBoo0512]

I start my college course next month. It is a part time teaching assistant course, I'll be doing a one day placement in a primary school and one evening in college 6pm-9pm.

My mum said she will look after LO for me on my placement day and OH gets home at 5.30pm so he will be at home with LO when I attend college.

Last week my mum had LO for the day as we were having a wall re plastered in the house. She picked him up at 9am and at 1pm I got a phone call off my mum saying she's had to take LO to my grandparents because she can't cope looking after him. This was the first time she has looked after him and she said she is sorry but won't be looking after him again.

What I want to know is if anyone knows if there is some sort of childcare I can put LO in for one day a week? For a one day nursery placement in my area it's about £40 a day and I just can't afford that. Now I'm panicking that I won't be able to go to college and I really need a career change to fit in with school holidays when LO starts school, that's why I'm training to be a teaching assistant.

 

[Dani_Ldn]

Where abouts in the UK are you?

 

[JessyG]

would a childmindw

 

[JessyG]

sorry would a childminder be cheaper? or a nanny? i reckon £40 a day is fairl

 

[JessyG]

y standard for a day in childcare

ps sorry for all the posts my phone is having a meltdown!

 

[BellaBoo0512]

Where abouts in the UK are you?

North west

 

[BellaBoo0512]

sorry would a childminder be cheaper? or a nanny? i reckon £40 a day is fairl

I don't know if a childminder or nanny would be cheaper but we literally don't have any money left at the end of the week/month after bills and food. OH works but is on a crappy wage and I quit my job so I could start college.

 

[JessyG]

I dont know how it worked but my friend had her private nursery fees paid for as she didnt earn very much. she also had half her rent paid for her and she got child support from the baby daddy so it must have beeb some form of tax credits. do you qualify?

 

[BellaBoo0512]

Yeah we get child tax credits, housing benefit and council tax reduction and are still struggling. Well not struggling, we are managing but really don't have much spare. I don't know if we would get any extra tax credits if I start college but as it's only a part time course I don't think we're entitled to any help. I could be wrong though

 

[JessyG]

never hurts to ask. Are you entitled to any sort of grant/funding for starting college?

 

[annio84]

If you're getting certain benefits I believe you can get help with childcare costs. My friend told me up to 70% but I've never looked into it as I'm not entitled to anything other than child benefit.

Other than that are you not getting any sort of payment for going to college? They tend to have access to learning funds and things like that so might be worth
looking into.

 

[lola_90]

I'm not sure you might have to speak to the place a where you will be studying. I am at uni on a full time course and luckily they pay for 85% of my son's childcare up to a maximum of £155 a week. He goes for three days at a cost of £153 a week! Nurserues around here are £50 a day and we found childminders so be of a similar cost but where more flexible with times.

 

[Noo]

You'll need to speak to your college. You won't get help from tax credits as you aren't working. I'd say each college will have their own criteria but usually for full time study.