Local mothers have spoken out about how rising costs of childcare are causing financial strain and mental stress after a recent survey revealed that over half of female respondents felt they would need to choose between being a ‘good’ mother and having a professional career.
It comes after new figures showed that Jersey last year recorded the lowest number of births since 1945.
Meanwhile, a 2021 government report revealed that childcare fees in the island are substantially higher than in England – with childminder fees 37% higher and nursery fees 22% higher in the island compared to the average across all English regions.
This financial strain often leaves families feeling trapped – with many mothers feeling forced out of the workforce in order to stay home with their children.
Children or a career?
According to a report recently published by Public Health, most women feel like there is a binary choice between being a good parent and having a professional career.
The Women’s Health and Wellbeing Assessment reads: “More than half (56%) of women surveyed agreed that women need to choose between being a good mother and having a career.”
Pictured: Half of women said that they had to choose between being a good mother and their career. (Public Health)
The Assessment, which carried out a public consultation last year, found that one of the most “significant concerns” faced by women included the “high cost of childcare”.
This was often cited as a reason for “causing stress” — with one respondent saying that these costs had led her to frequently consider leaving Jersey.
“Childcare being £2,000 per month is disgusting,” she said. “I don’t understand how anyone can afford that alongside paying for a mortgage.
“These things stress me and my partner out every day and make me consider leaving the island regularly.”
According to the latest annual statement from the Office of the Superintendent Registrar, the 330 girls and 386 boys born last year also marked a 10% decrease in births in comparison to 2023, and 28% fewer births compared to 2014.
The number of births recorded in 2024 was also lower than the 877 registered deaths.
Meanwhile, a report published by Public Health last year showed that the island’s total fertility rate falls well below the so-called “replacement” level needed to sustain the population long-term without relying on migration.
It comes after a local gynaecologist Neil Maclachlan told Express that he believes the high cost of living in Jersey means families are delaying having children, risking higher levels of infertility.
The sense that high costs of childcare leave many feeling overwhelmed and unsupported also emerged among local parents.
“Childcare is simply not an option”
For Tracy Barnes, mother of twins, the financial burden of childcare made the decision to leave work inevitable. “Childcare is simply not an option for us as it’s in excess of £3,000 a month,” she said.
“Greater support would allow working parents to continue their careers, contribute taxes, and create jobs in childcare.”
Nikki Slous faced a similar situation, leaving her job because childcare costs exceeded her earnings.
“It can be very challenging some months, especially as my husband is self-employed,” she said.
Rosemary Dowden – who is the face behind the Instagram page Penny Pinching Bean where she shares her journey to saving money and living on less – also left the workforce due to childcare costs.
She said: “Because of the cost of childcare was pretty much my entire wage, we decided that it was better I stayed home with our child till school age and that we would complete all our family while I was off.
“Nursery costs are insane for just one, without me being the childcare, we could not afford our dreams of another child.”
Others, like Amie de Carteret, said that the cost of childcare has reshaped her family plans.
After receiving only six weeks of employer-paid leave, she decided to take a full year off work, supported by government parental allowances.
“The cost of full-time childcare that we have seen is around £400+ per week, and it’s not cost-effective with my salary,” she explained.
Her husband now bears the household’s financial responsibilities, a situation Amie describes as straining.
Others, like 32-year-old Eloise Noel, understand why women choose to delay motherhood until their 30s “given the prohibitively high cost of childcare and lack of funded hours until pre-school”.
Free childcare for under-threes on the cards?
In a bid to make childcare more accessible and affordable, an £11.8 million plan to expand nursery and childcare services over the next three years was unveiled in October by Education Minister Rob Ward.
The initiative focuses on supporting children aged two to three, particularly those with additional needs, while also working towards what the report describes as “a universal offer” for the age group.
Multiple pilot programmes are currently being trialled across selected schools to test various approaches and collect evidence to inform future decision-making as the department works towards providing free care to two-to-three-year-olds.
When asked to respond to the concerns raised by mothers about the high cost of childcare, a spokesperson from the Education Department said: “The Minister recognises the cost of childcare, like many other crucial services, has steadily increased in line with the cost of living, and as such isn’t isolated to the early years sector.
“The Minister’s ambition is to be able to roll out a universal offer of free hours to 2-3-year-olds, however, he recognises that there isn’t the capacity and infrastructure to do this at present.
“This is why work has continued at pace to design and launch a series of pilots, which means the different operating models can be tested to better inform policy decisions.
“Running pilots also assists in the wider understanding of the economic impact of any change and how to best support provision across the sector.
“The Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning remains interested in establishing further pilots and will be engaging further with the sector in the next few weeks.”
How can employers support parents returning to work?
Deputy Raluca Kovacs has also taken steps to support parents in the workplace by organising an event for HR professionals to discuss best practices.
Topics at the event last month included parental leave, breastfeeding rights, separation anxiety, and workplace responsibilities.
“This event will help identify solutions and discuss how businesses, government support, and policy changes can address some of these challenges,” the Reform Jersey politician said.
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