Many mothers moving to the UK will have to find a full-time job to make ends meet. We spoke to Vivian Chu, a paediatrician in the UK who moved from Hong Kong in 2002, on what options there are on childcare for full-time working parents.  

For parents with full time work like yourself, what childcare help can you get? ⦁ 好多父母嚟咗之後會選擇全職工作，小朋友邊個照顧呀？

One thing you must know is, it is not going to be easy to get a live-in maid like in Hong Kong.

1. If you have just given birth, you can have a maternity nurse to look after your new born. They are expensive. 

2. You can also try nursery schools for children under 5. Unless you are going for private (hence expensive) ones, you will have to apply through a local council and the waiting lists are long.  

3. A third option is hiring a nanny. They will only look after the kids, so don’t expect them to cook or clean for you. Most nannies here are eastern Europeans, I haven’t seen many who are Asians.

4. There are also childminders, who tend to live close to you so you can drop your kids off and go to work. Registered childminders can look after up to 6 children up to the age of 8. 

5. Finally, you can consider an Au Pair for older kids. Au Pairs are usually under 30 and are here for a cultural exchange programme. They will live with you and help you with light housework and childcare for around 30 hours a week, and you will offer their own private room in the house and food. 

Most British parents agree it is hard until kids reach the age of 5 and start going to school. A lot more work and lifestyle options open then.

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