Has anyone changed nurseries due to cost?

My daughter is 2 and loves her nursery. The staff love her, we’ve only had one or two minor issues in the 12 months she’s been going there. But oh my god is it expensive! We could just about afford it when we enrolled her, and there’s annual increases as expected. We had notice last month that fees will increase again from November (I assume due to the huge influx of children with the new childcare allowances) and we just can’t afford it. Her nursery fees leave very little spare after bills. I considered quitting work and having her full time, but she loves the interaction with other children. I guess my question is has anyone else changed nurseries? How did your little one cope with the change? I feel terrible for having to do it but I feel it’s the best available option

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Are you eligible for the 15 hours of free childcare? Does that help make it affordable? Our LO goes to a nursery 2 days a week all year, that's 77 a day and then we have just started him at preschool 2 days a week and that's 45 a day but term time only, shorter days and we have to provide food. He goes there on our 2 flexi work days. If there is a preschool near you that could be a cheaper option? Our 15 hours of free childcare goes towards the more expensive nursery and we pay pretty much the same as we used to for 2 days a week but now get 4. He's settled in to the 2nd place just fine and I think if it was a full time swap it would be even better but we just can't manage term time only and shorter days on our contracted work days so we have to stick with nursery too

We’ve just changed nursery. He also liked it at his other nursery but when free hours came in they more than doubled the rates so the equivalent day became 112 pounds instead of 53. I had proper mum guilt but he has had settling in days at new nursery and he seems to like it. He is quite a social being anyway so we had hoped he would be ok. I think if you make the change it is better to do it sooner rather than later as once they are 3 I think they have formed many more attachments to other children etc

We found a childminder who is local and so much cheaper than nursery. If that helps xxx

@Natalie yea we get the 15 free hours but we’re still struggling. We pay for food on her funded days and pay a service fee for the funded hours too. I hadn’t considered sending her to two different places! I didn’t even think you could do that. Thank you for commenting that’s given a whole new option x

@Marije that’s exactly what has happened at our nursery. I’m glad he’s settled into his new place 💗 thank you for the comforting reply x

@Emma that does, thank you! There’s so many options to consider x

@Erin I would prefer he went to one for a bit more continuity but honestly we can't justify the cost of 4 days at the expensive one when 2 of the work days are flexible hours. And the opening hours/days of the cheaper one doesn't suit our contracted days 🤦‍♀️ hope you can find a cheaper option but if she has settled into one nursery she will settle into another xx

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