While acknowledging that the costs and lack of childcare provision are two major reasons why parents don’t return to work (A sick child means a £700 hole in our budget: that’s the reality of life as a working parent, 8 March), a third is rarely mentioned – the difficulties when parents of young children must leave for work before their children’s schools or nurseries open, or they have a late, overnight or early shift. Before Brexit, provided they had a spare bedroom, such families could employ an au pair.
In exchange for a room in London, full board and lodging, free internet use, free use of laundry machines, all work-related expenses, free weekends and £120 a week, our family’s au pairs undertook 25 hours’ negotiated light work each week. They managed the school and nursery runs and were available on inset days, enabling parents to attend meetings, parents’ evenings and so on before and after school, knowing the children were safe.
