Cutting down their working hours, leaving their jobs altogether, and even considering not having another baby are all considerations parents are now taking as the pressure of childcare costs continues.

These are some of the reasons Pearl Coalter (pictured), a local volunteer with Melted Parents NI is hearing from parents in Fermanagh, some of whom are forking out around £1,000 per month on childcare bills.

Melted Parents NI is a parent-led campaign group sharing the lived experiences of parents behind the childcare crisis.

Pearl, who is from Kesh, and also pays for childcare, provided testimonials from some parents who said the cost of childcare may determine if they could afford to have a third child. A nurse was quoted £2,500 per month for two children in a nursery five days a week, which they said was unachievable and they had to reduce their working hours while their husband and mother took a day off work to help with child care.

Another example was of a business manager who employed mothers and said many of them are reducing their hours because they cannot afford childcare five days a week, with one mother spending 75 per cent of her wages on childcare and travel expenses.

While a survey carried out by Melted Parents 82.3 per cent of those surveyed said the cost of child care was a factor in whether or not to have more children. Pearl said she got involved with the campaign as she wanted the views and experiences of rural families to be heard.

“Alongside the cost of childcare here, people also struggle with the access of childcare and that’s important to highlight as well. And that could have a knock-on effect in terms of the work and other opportunities,” explained Pearl.

“Some of the local families have been saying to me that they’re paying close to £2,000 a month for their childcare, and some in some cases up to three or four times their monthly mortgage payment and it’s a significant drain on the family’s finances.

“Some of the families feel that there’s no option but to reduce the number of days that they work or they’re reducing the number of days their businesses open solely due to the cost and availability of childcare here.”

Quality childcare

While cost is an issue, Pearl did stress that the quality of childcare in the county is excellent but she is seeing more and more families get in touch with her because of the financial stress the cost is causing them.

Caroline Meehan, manager of the Magic Roundabout Nursery in Enniskillen spoke of the challenges she is currently facing as a childcare provider.

“Our biggest challenge at the minute is recruitment and retainment of staff,” she said, explaining that childcare provision is a “low-paid sector”.

“To meet our costs, we have to raise prices which can only go so far and our staff are mainly paid a national living wage,” said Ms. Meehan.

“So then that keeps going up. We’re trying not to put it on to the parents but we have to with the cost of living.

“It isn’t a very good system in the way that it works, and so then we find we’re losing staff to others. They are going off to maybe work in the schools.”

Ms. Meehan noted that due to the current increases in utility prices, the costs of running the business are now “sky high”

“It’s all on the financial side at the minute,” she said, adding: “I feel that if the government was able to [provide funding] in a certain way, then we would be able to pay staff a better wage and it wouldn’t have to fall on parents. Then we mightn’t have as big a problem retaining our staff.”

In the rest of the UK, there is 30 hours of free childcare available and the discussion around how to help parents and providers in Northern Ireland is getting louder.

“There are a lot more people who are speaking to me about it. And they’re looking to see what’s the progress Melted Parents have made, where things are going, where the policy is at, and things like that, and yeah, I have seen an increase in the number of people that are coming to me,” said Pearl.

Melted Parents want politicians in Northern Ireland to pledge to make childcare strategy a day-one priority and for the incumbent Executive to publish a timeframe for delivering it in the first 100 days of the new government.

“It’s getting to a crisis point for parents, so we can’t sit back and do nothing when Stormont isn’t operating,” said one of Melted Parents’ founding members, Paula O’Neill.

“The cost of childcare is making parents consider their options. Depending on their circumstances, some parents are choosing to reduce their hours or leave the workplace entirely.

“We know that the first 1,001 days of a child’s life lays the foundation for their health, development and learning.

“However, parents are being placed under significant financial pressure during this crucial time.

“Childcare is essential economic infrastructure and through this campaign, we hope that these invaluable services can become increasingly accessible,” concluded Pearl.

Yesterday (Wednesday), the Alliance Party launched its childcare porposals. They are centred on an Affordable Childcare Scheme to deliver better outcomes for parents and will enhance the quality and sutainability of childcare porvision.

See Kate Nicholl on Page 26.