Should Working mothers be given preference at childcare ?? rant and healthy debate :)

So i have had this problem before with childcare and waiting lists etc and i have to say it is getting a little frustrating.

Having a work transfer 600km away and finding childcare for my DS has been a nightmare.
I have looked at over 15 centres which are fully booked and have placed him on 2 waiting lists - which i have been told will be available in 2013!

I have put my start date off at work another month in hope i get a phone call :(

I am wondering what is your views on the childcare system? Is it fair to working parents?

I pay full fees ($75 a day) and dont recieve any government benefits up front (we usually get a small bonus at tax time as i never know my earnings)
I have been forcced in the past to work only nightshifts and weekends (great for family life) as child care has been a nightmare to get a place.

I have been told by previous child care owners that there are people who dont work with this kids in (full time even), which i assume hardly pay what i would have to, and get full benefits from the government. But yet i struggle to get a childcare place so i can work and pay taxes to the government??

I do not and have not in the 5 years my beautiful child have been on this earth had them babysat, we have lived in 5 different parts of australia never near family , DH and i have just done it on our own, the only time i have not had my children by my side is when i have been at work (1-2 days week).

SO throwing it out there on your views on the current system?
Please keep it civil and healthy x

I thought they did? In the handbook we were given by day care it says working parents have preference. However, in practice I've no idea how that actually works.

We've been lucky in regards to day care days. We got the last Monday spot for DS's room.

Is there any family day care in the area? Though that may be the same if all the centers are full.

I know that our centre does give preference to working/studying parents and those on maternity leave who will be returning to work/study but there are also places specifically set aside for mothers who don't work but have needs that require them to have care eg. Have been assessed as having mental illness or have special needs children.

I think childcare centres should prioritise with respect to working parents especially if you have days that you are required to work. Non-working parents are usually more flexible and can slot into days where there are gaps. I don't think that they should be able to have full time childcare unless there are extenuating circumstances. Having said that it is hard to know who has these circumstances and who doesn't.

I am guessing not in practice :(
There are a few FDC but not as close as we need them.
As i work shifts DH will have to do a drop off or pick up of the kids (cc and school) and makes it hard when he starts at 8 and finishes at 530 - then has only 30 mins to get from work to both locations before close :(

Our centre gives pref to working mums too. I thought it was an across the board thing.

How would i raise it with them i guess is the next thing?
One has 20 children before DS on the list, i guess it is plausible that all 20 parents are working... but how do you ask that question

ANd i guess half the problem is once a non working mother has a place you cant take it away from them either

Definitely a tough one. I have always managed to get my DD a place when working, and once I stopped I promptly dropped her back to just 1 day a week. I'm currently working and studying and I get 2nd place priority over other parents for vacation care (DD is now at school).

I would perhaps call the centers and enquire into their policy surrounding this. From my knowledge when I briefly managed the office at one was:

1. Docs carers/circumstances
2. Working parents
3. Studying parents
4. All others

Generally you may find some of the parents who have their children in for just 1 day per week may swap to a day with more vacancies to help you, but definitely bring it up and just enquire to how they determine someone's priority and spot on the list (IMO 20 people ahead of you is a lot)

I was once told that there is a govt rebate for parents forced to utilize a nanny service to care for their children due to shift work. I don't know if there is any truth to that but it might be worth investigating. I never looked into it further as I did secure a position at my nominate child care venue.

When DD went to child care, we put her name down (literally) the day after she was born to secure a position because I didn't want to miss out. I've heard that the centre attached to my work (I work in healthcare) has a 2 year waiting list. I struggle to understand this as how can you know that you will need to use the nursery in 2 years time? I know a girl who put her daughters name down (12 months old) and didn't get an allocated spot for 18 months past that. By which time she had secured somewhere else!

I hope you can sort something soon.

The centre I had my kids at gave preference to working parents. If I was called in to work they would ask a non working parent to keep their child home for the day.

At my childcare - they do. . . Working parents/Children in need get preference over stay at home mums.

To the point it worked in my favour, when I walked in almost in tears because I needed to find a daycare fast (and the other 7 before hand didn't suit) The lady gave me the 4/4 days that I needed, and it did mean that she has to ask a few other mothers to swap their days around.

But with that being said I don't think stay at home mums shouldn't have day care - they need the break too... But I think working parents/children in need (abusive/neglect situations) should take preference.

All centres I've been to put working mothers etc first.

There is hardly any DC here at all, but I see alot of parents advertising on facebook buy & sell pages for a babysitter/carer for their kids, weather its full time, or just til a place is available. Maybe you could try that?

It can be in your home or theirs. What ever you guys feel comfortable with. There may be other mothers close by who would do it for a little extra cash, & they'd possibly be able to get your DD to & from school as well.

Mum always worked, but never used daycare etc for us.

They are trying to push for nanny's to be on the ccb but not happening as yet.
a few fdc do in home care but not in my area.
I saw both centres on friday just gone. and explained that i have pushed my start date back a month and we have no family and dont know a soul in this city, the only option is i forfiet my position or work nights and weekends until 2013. this would mean DH would have to take a week leave without pay for my to undergo inital orientation again which is our last resort.

neither centre said anything just that i have to be on the bottom of the waiting list.

Even when i initially looked at CC for DD who is almost 5 - i was told she would be on a waiting list until 2013 - go figure!!! luckily i was able to secure a kindy space at school for her.

it is ridiculous.

Cat - i agree! and being a part time working mum who has never had a day to myself in 5 years i would love to have my kids in care and rest, but unfortunately i need to work to afford the child care :(

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It can be in your home or theirs. What ever you guys feel comfortable with. There may be other mothers close by who would do it for a little extra cash, & they'd possibly be able to get your DD to & from school as well.

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I guess i have been living in this big city for all of about 5 weeks now, dont know anyone, and not comfortable bringing a stranger into my home to care for my kids.
I can hire a babysitter/nanny - cheapest is around $160 a day which is crazy!
TBH with all the drive by shootings and crime in the surrounding suburbs, i would prefer to hide behind my locked doors, but my job is part of my identity and i love it

Completely understandable, but I'm pretty sure you'd be able to ask for a police clearance & working with children check. Most of the people asking here are also new in town, but they are very small towns, so I guess having word of mouth, or recommandations makes it a bit easier. Harder to get in a city when people are more anon.

$160 is nuts... is that for live in?

Are there any BB girls close by who'd help you out?

I hadn't even been offered the job I applied for before I applied for 3 days a week at the kindy at my work. I basically told them at the interview that I could work on the days that my son could get into daycare. Because I was flexible with the days, the kindy was able to accommodate me.

Also, now that I'm going on Mat leave with #2 soon I have to keep DS in the kindy at least 1 day a week to keep his spot!! I know when I'm going back to work so I booked in #2 when I was 5 weeks pregnant but because I already had a kid at the kindy they gave me preference.

My friend who doesn't work was told that her 2yo DD could lose her spot at kindy with only a couple weeks notice if a working family needed the spot. My friend is 14 weeks pregnant with #2 and she has rheumatoid arthritis and horrible back issues so uses those days her DD is at kindy to get treatment, docs appt etc. I thought once you had a spot for your child they couldnt take it from you.

Bottom line is we need more Affordable child care places..

I think that working Mums (or Dad's) should be given preference. At our current childcare that seems to be the case (as far as I can tell). When I was starting there I needed 3 days a week and the director said that they would call some of the non-working parents to see if they could swap out of the 'full' days into one of the other days so that we could get a spot. They implied that this was their policy and that the non-working parents should know that this could happen. Someone must have swapped as we got our days.

i wonder why this isnt happening then?
What would i say i when i ring and ask,?

I'm guessing you are in Sydney???

Maybe the bet short term option is to look at council run FDC. You may need to travel a little bit (one of the joys of city life) but it will be worth it if you can work.