Working parents have to employ a range of strategies to meet the challenge of combining work and children. How are they doing it and where do they go for help?

Anyone who's ever had to peel off an unhappy, clinging child so they can get to work, knows there's more of a cost to childcare than just the money you have to part with. For working mums, finding the type of care that suits your child is crucial, if you're to combine parenting and a career. The number of women trying to do just that is increasing steadily. A recent study – Trends in Female Employment – showed that 65 per cent of women with dependent children are in work. However, only 54.4 per cent of those with children under 5 are working, compared to 75 per cent of those with children between 11 and 15.

Julie, who works as a travel agent, took a longer than intended career break because the childcare available didn't work out for her. ‘When I first went back to work, Tom was nine months old and seemed content in the local day nursery but, after about six months, he became really unsettled. He would cling on to me and sob. Going to work after that was dreadful. I felt I could still hear him crying, and it made it hard for me to be as cheerful and positive as customers expected. He was unhappy and it was costing just under half my salary to keep him there, so I decided to pack it in. We had to do without some of the things my wages paid for, but I never missed them.’ Looking back she has no regrets, but getting her career back on track has taken some time. ‘Finding an employer, who is willing to let me work family-friendly hours, has been impossible. Fortunately, Tom's school runs an After School Club, so that's sorted out my term time problems. But I don't know what we'll do in the long summer holiday.’

What are the options?
A good first port of call, for any parent looking for up-to-date information on childminders, nurseries, after school schemes and holiday play schemes in your locality, is the ChildCare Link on 08000 096 0296. They only have information on registered and approved schemes, which is this type of arrangement that enables you to apply for financial help from the government with childcare costs, if you are eligible.

The Childcare Tax Credit, which is part of the Working Families’ Tax Credit (WFTC), is worth up to 70% of your childcare costs – up to maximum of £100 a week for one child and £150 for two or more children. These amounts will be increased to £135 and £200 respectively from June 2001. To be eligible you have to work more than 16 hours a week, and your income and savings must be below a certain level. Families earning up to £22,000 can get a contribution towards childcare. For more details read this or call the Tax Credits Helpline on 0845 609 5000, Monday to Friday 7.30am - 6.30pm.

If you want to have your children cared for in their own home, nannies and au pairs can be a good alternative. However, there are no requirements for them to register with Social Services in the way childminders have to, so it's up to parents to check on the suitability of individuals they employ. If you use this type of childcare or make informal arrangements with family friends you can't claim WFTC.

Creative solutions
Kate has four children, ranging from 6 to 14, and says life now is more complicated than when they were babies. She's a single parent and works as an optician, which involves two late evenings. ‘Two are at secondary school and feel they don't need anyone to look after them, but I like to be sure they're home and safe. The other two are at primary school and need to be picked up at three o'clock. The only solution I've been able to find is employing a housekeeper for the hours I'm not there. I pay her £6 an hour, which I think is quite a bargain, I feel I was lucky to get someone to work these odd hours. It also solves my problem during the school holidays. My employer is prepared to be flexible about unpaid time off to fit in with the kids, but I can't afford to take too much of it.’

The national charity, Day Care Trust, campaigns to promote high quality, affordable childcare. They offer lots of practical advice and information on choosing the right type for your circumstances. They also have a childcare hotline which provides free information and advice – 020 7739 2866, Monday - Friday 10am to 5pm.