The Struggle Of Finding The Right Childcare As A Black Parent
This story is part of Black Ballad’s takeover of HuffPost UK, a week-long series by Black women on parenting, family, and our post-Covid future.
After having my first child, I quickly found that time became my greatest enemy. There was never enough of it to do all the things I needed to. Each day that passed brought the end of my maternity leave closer – I would have to leave my child, but first, I needed to find childcare that wouldn’t break the bank or send my mum guilt into overdrive.
There aren’t many options available when it comes to low-cost childcare where we live in north-west Kent, which is also a predominantly white area. A lack of racial diversity can present its own problems, too – and, unfortunately for me, the free option of ‘daycare of mum and dad’ wasn’t viable. Neither was an au pair or nanny.
I’ve never felt comfortable sourcing childcare from overseas, but some parents have found great success with this route. “It was hard having someone in your house constantly at times, but the benefits far outweighed the discomfort,” says Bisola Ezobi, a GP from Bristol. “Our au pairs became family members.”
Esther Olowude, a learning disability nurse, also enjoyed the experience, but found she received a bit of cultural backlash from people who didn’t understand why she was using an au pair. “Some even challenged them when they saw them with my children,” she recalls. “Or called me to check my kids had not been kidnapped.”
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If a live-in carer isn’t feasible, the more formal options of nursery or a childminder come into play.
We explored the childminder route with my eldest child, as we needed more flexibility. It didn’t go well and it quickly became apparent we were more suited to a nursery environment. Chrissy Offiah, a school administrator found...
