Childcare Cost Keep Increasing Despite Government Subsidy: What alternative childcare options can parents choose from?
After the introduction of the government childcare subsidy, one would think Australian families will finally breathe and not have to stress over the expensive childcare costs that had long been consuming a high percentage of annual income every average income earner make, who are mostly full-time working parents, however, it turns out nothing much has changed.
What Australian Families Have To Deal With
The Australian Financial Review (AFR) on Friday published a news report written by Bo Seo, giving us a closer look at the real impact of the government subsidy to working parents. The government spent more than $7.2 billion in subsidies to support more than 1.6 million children in 1.1 million families since the rolling out of the new system, but childcare centers also increased to 37% cost of care before the September quarter 2018 drop off, and 27% after it.
The Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey found that there has been a significant increase from the median weekly spending on formal care between 2002 and 2017.
The rise in costs of childcare is a serious challenge, especially for mums who just returned to work after maternity leave, you know that paying for childcare is only among the many hurdles you have to jump. You have to separate from your child after months of intimate bonding which is the emotional part. Then, there’s the unnecessary negotiation with your employer pushing for bigger projects that you know you can take but wasn’t trusted with because of the long break you took after childbirth. And when you have finally secured local daycare for your child, you find out you’re not eligible for the childcare subsidy the government has put into place or even if you do qualify, you can barely see any changes from your take-home pay. You want to progress your career as working professionals but you’re also desperate to find alternative childcare that will allow you to be there for your kids more.
Alternative Childcare Options To Choose From
If you are among the many women who struggle to make ends meet, wanting to pursue a career or simply want to get their sanity back through achieving goals beyond the home, now is the perfect time to opt-in for alternative childcare. Some families would share nannies, baby sitters, ask for family members like grandparents to look after the children a few times a week, and for those who have the option to work remotely they find co-working spaces as a great place to be. However, one of the few and the best options which haven’t been largely touched or Australian families aren’t aware of much is hosting Au Pairs.
More and more families prefer hosting Au Pairs not only because of the affordable pocket money arrangements they have with the Au Pair but because of the cultural exchange and flexibility rendered in the program as well. In addition to the benefits of having an Au Pair, you also get the chance to expose your family to a new language coming directly from a native speaker and learn from them if you like. Au Pairs also help with light housework which is of great help if you don’t have enough time to organize and clean the house yourself after a long tiring day at work – note that their help is at no additional cost to you.
Flexibility really is one of the best things that Au Pairs can offer. Since they live with your family, you can ask for help at any time of the day whenever you need it for as long as it’s within the allowable number of working hours. Demi Pairs can be your alternative childcare too because they can help you out after school hours which will usually match to the times where you need assistance with childcare the most.
How 99aupairs Can Help
At 99aupairs, we help you find your perfect match so you can have the support you need. Our platform offers a stress-free, fast and secure recruitment process which is easily accessible at the tip of your fingers. We currently offer FREE membership to Host Families for a limited time only. We also offer our Au Pair/Demi Pair Placement service at an affordable cost – rest assured we will find only the best candidates for your family.
Why let childcare centers take your hard-earned money or rely on the benefits of the governments’ subsidy when alternative childcare is there for you to take. Visit us on our website @99aupairs.com or send us an email at support@99aupairs.com to start your Au Pair search today!