Child care while working

[Heartbeat1425]

Hi Dears
I would like to learn from your experience.
My wife and I are moving to Canada for scholarship for 2 years ( post graduate physician) and both will be working full time with night duties.
We have 3 children ( 7 year, 5 year, 2 year).
What is the best option for children care while we are away at work?
The 2 older children will go to school by September and I beleive the school start at 8 or 9 Am and finish at 3 PM. Our work start at 7:30 AM and finish at 5 PM so what should we do with them when we go to work at 7:30 till they go to school and when they come from school till we come back from work? Do the school offer early care preschool or late care post school ?
I have read about nanny, babysitter and daycare but I am confused and found the cost is very high.

Your experience will help me a lot to prepare.

 

[scylla]

Hi Dears
I would like to learn from your experience.
My wife and I are moving to Canada for scholarship for 2 years ( post graduate physician) and both will be working full time with night duties.
We have 3 children ( 7 year, 5 year, 2 year).
What is the best option for children care while we are away at work?
The 2 older children will go to school by September and I beleive the school start at 8 or 9 Am and finish at 3 PM. Our work start at 7:30 AM and finish at 5 PM so what should we do with them when we go to work at 7:30 till they go to school and when they come from school till we come back from work? Do the school offer early care preschool or late care post school ?
I have read about nanny, babysitter and daycare but I am confused and found the cost is very high.

Your experience will help me a lot to prepare.

Given you have three children, both of you will be working and you will sometimes have to work nights/evenings, you will probably be best off hiring one caregiver who can take care of all three of your children including dropping off and picking up the two older ones from school.

Some schools offer before or after school programs - but not all. You will need to inquire with the schools that you are planning on having your children attend.

Yes - the costs of childcare in Canada tend to be high.

 

[Heartbeat1425]

Given you have three children, both of you will be working and you will sometimes have to work nights/evenings, you will probably be best off hiring one caregiver who can take care of all three of your children including dropping off and picking up the two older ones from school.

Some schools offer before or after school programs - but not all. You will need to inquire with the schools that you are planning on having your children attend.

Yes - the costs of childcare in Canada tend to be high.

Thank you for your helpfull reply and suggestion. How easy is to find a caregiver like nanny ? Is there a website or agency that I can trust ? Thanks

 

[canuck78]

You'll actually need 2 nannies. Before school care usually stats at 7:30am so won't work for you. You'll likely need a full time nanny who starts at 6-7am and works until 4 or 5pm. 5pm is earlier for physicians to arrive home. Then you'd need an after school, evening and weekend nanny. Definitely not an inexpensive proposition. I am sure you are aware the remaining in Canada as a physician is unlikely after your post grad, I am surprised you have 2 year post grads and not just 1 year.

 

[Heartbeat1425]

You'll actually need 2 nannies. Before school care usually stats at 7:30am so won't work for you. You'll likely need a full time nanny who starts at 6-7am and works until 4 or 5pm. 5pm is earlier for physicians to arrive home. Then you'd need an after school, evening and weekend nanny. Definitely not an inexpensive proposition. I am sure you are aware the remaining in Canada as a physician is unlikely after your post grad, I am surprised you have 2 year post grads and not just 1 year.

Thank you for your reply.
Postgraduate training ( fellowship) is usually 2 years in most of speciality. I am not planning to remain in Canada after finishing.
May you guide me how I can secure nanny before coming ? And how much usually cost ?

 

[canuck78]

Most of my friends have done 1 year fellowships except things like neurosurgery. Can't recommend a nanny agency bu you are looking around 30K in Toronto. That is for an around a 40 hour work week. You are wanting many more hours you will have to find a 2nd caregiver.

https://canadiannanny.ca/how-much-does-a-nanny-cost

 

[Copingwithlife]

Also add in for expenses if you are going to hire a nanny , you want to call up the CRA and set up a caregiver payroll RP account . From this account you’d remit the payroll taxes , CPP and EI contributions for the employee . It is not a regular RP account used for businesses, but a specific payroll account used for the hiring of caregivers . Some agencies require that you set up this account PRIOR to them assigning you a nanny . They will request the PD7A Statement of Account issued by the CRA as proof of registration
If you require two nannies both caregivers can use the same account number
As mentioned above , hiring someone is not a inexpensive proposition

 

[Heartbeat1425]

Also add in for expenses if you are going to hire a nanny , you want to call up the CRA and set up a caregiver payroll RP account . From this account you’d remit the payroll taxes , CPP and EI contributions for the employee . It is not a regular RP account used for businesses, but a specific payroll account used for the hiring of caregivers . Some agencies require that you set up this account PRIOR to them assigning you a nanny . They will request the PD7A Statement of Account issued by the CRA as proof of registration
If you require two nannies both caregivers can use the same account number
As mentioned above , hiring someone is not a inexpensive proposition

Thank you .. this is new for me. It is helpful advice.

 

[Copingwithlife]

No problem , from this RP account you’d issue the caregivers end of year T4 slips , you’d also give this RP account number to ServiceCanada when you no longer require the caregivers to issue their ROE’s, aka Record of Employment. ServiceCanada will not authorize the issuance of ROE’s unless the employer has contributed the required social benefit deductions, and hours worked
As a added note, that if you go to register the caregiver account the CRA will ask you questions such as, how many employees , estimated amount paid for the employees over the course of one year, it does NOT have to exact, just an estimate, and how often payroll will be , monthly , weekly, bi-weekly etc
They’ll give you the RP # over the phone and a mailed confirmation will follow
Also when you no longer have caregivers just call up the CRA and request to close the account
Here’s a nifty guide that can help
https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/publications/t4001.html

 

[Didona84]

The best for you would be to hire a live-in nanny who would be willing to work around the clock. Maybe offer to someone from your country to come with you as an au-pair.

 

[canuck78]

The best for you would be to hire a live-in nanny who would be willing to work around the clock. Maybe offer to someone from your country to come with you as an au-pair.

Nannies have a limit of hours that they can actually work by law. This family will likely need 2 nannies or a combination of nanny and babysitter for evening and weekends and hope they are never on call at the same time.

 

[Heartbeat1425]

The best for you would be to hire a live-in nanny who would be willing to work around the clock. Maybe offer to someone from your country to come with you as an au-pair.

Good suggestion. Thank u

 

[canuck78]

Good suggestion. Thank u

They would need to apply through the caregiver pathway or IEC for a year. There are pretty strict rules for nannies in Canada. They can't work around the clock. They are limitted to a certain amount of hours a day and per week. If you have to make rounds or a surgery time at 6:30 the nanny has to start at 6am or earlier and likely her work day will end before yours. You then need coverage after 3-4pm. Would join a Canadian physician facebook group. Most of my physician friends are unable to use daycare because of their hours so they often talk about childcare and which agency they used.

 

[Heartbeat1425]

They would need to apply through the caregiver pathway or IEC for a year. There are pretty strict rules for nannies in Canada. They can't work around the clock. They are limitted to a certain amount of hours a day and per week. If you have to make rounds or a surgery time at 6:30 the nanny has to start at 6am or earlier and likely her work day will end before yours. You then need coverage after 3-4pm. Would join a Canadian physician facebook group. Most of my physician friends are unable to use daycare because of their hours so they often talk about childcare and which agency they used.

Thank you for this new information. It is realy a chalenging and seems very costy.

 

[canuck78]

Thank you for this new information. It is realy a chalenging and seems very costy.

Yes childcare costs are major factor in the decision to have children. Even daycare is usually $1700 or more in Toronto. you will need to factor in a very large percentage of your budget towards childcare.