Daycare advice

[QuiniseR]

Hi Everyone,

 

A bit of background info; we applied for 189 Visa and received notification that it was approved in November  I was the main applicant (Secondary school teacher) and have husband and daughter (18 months) as dependents. My husband and I are both 30 years old. 

 

I've taken a year off of work to finish my accounting degree and also take care of our daughter (previously finished articles with an accounting firm). We were planning to get her started at a playgroup in the new year - a couple of days a week as she seems to be ready. 

 

Now that our visa has been approved my husband has started looking for work and we won't go unless his salary will cover living expenses (we don't want to use savings to settle etc) and then I will also look for teaching job.

 

Now my question(s); I haven't done a lot of research regarding daycare yet. How does the process work to enrol your child, costs more or less? Do you have any tips to make this transition go as smoothly as possible? 

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

 

Quinise

[AFreshStart]

@QuiniseR

 

You might want to be sitting for this. It costs, a lot, a small fortune to be more specific.

 

You make no mention of where you will settle, but here in Sydney the average is $120 a DAY, though it goes up to $165 a day, by comparison my son's public school school fees are $350 a YEAR, the balance is subsidized by the State.

 

We live in the City and daycare was hard to come but, we had our name down on 6 waiting lists and over the course of the year moved from having 1 day a week to being given 3, before moving daycares this year where we were able to secure 5-days a week. If not as easy as just enrolling and getting 5-days, at least not in inner Sydney.

 

You might be eligible for Childcare rebate, which currently will pay up to $7500 a year towards these costs, but the balance will be out of your pocket.

 

Some families choose to have a parent stay home because of these costs and if you have 2-children under 6, might make more fiscal sense, in many cases parents will be working just to pay the fees.

 

There are other options like hiring an au pair or nanny, the average is $25-$30 an hour for a nanny and au pairs can costs less, but you normally need to provide accommodation and food as well, and they work limited hours.

 

Hope that helps

 

Matt

Edited December 8, 2016 by AFreshStart

[QuiniseR]

Hi Matt,

 

Thanks so much for your reply!!  (Haha, was sitting down when I read it!!)

 

We don't have a specific location where we want to settle; where we find work will be the determining factor.

 

Quinise