Yahoo Finance Mum's $29,000 warning about having kids after a certain date in Australia
Every state and territory has a specific cut-off date for when children can start school and it can cost you tens of thousands of dollars.
An Aussie mum has sounded the alarm over how much it will cost you if you have a baby after a certain date. Raising a child is not a cheap adventure, especially these days with the rising cost of living.
However, you're in for a massive bill if your child is born in the second half of the year for most households across Australia. That's because many schools won't accept a child until they have turned five and if they miss the cut-off date then families will have to keep sending the kid to daycare.
Mum-of-two Millie revealed it could cost you tens of thousands of dollars.
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"My husband and I didn't even consider this when we had our first child just because it just seems so far into the future," she explained in a video.
"If your child is born after [the cut-off date], all the way through to December, you'll be paying for an extra year of daycare."
Millie used an example of a Melbourne family who spent $157 per day, or $2,400 a month, on daycare after the child care subsidy (CCS). That works out to be a whopping $28,800 for a whole year, which a household would have to cop if the child is born after the cut-off date.
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"If you want to avoid that extra year of daycare, your baby needs to be born between January 1 And June 30, which means you need to aim to fall pregnant between March 27 And September 24," she added.
The mum stressed that not all parents have the luxury of choosing when to have children, however she said if they are doing family planning then it's worth keeping those dates in mind to avoid paying tens of thousands of dollars in childcare.
However, some people in the comments section felt daycare can be really important for a child's development and said the extra money is worth it.
"As an educational leader there is so much research behind why keeping our children in early childhood settings for as long as possible is so important. It’s such a shame money has to come into it," wrote one user.
Another argued sending their child to school later is better for their development regardless of increased childcare costs.
"Our May baby will be going the following year. I don’t care about finances because it’s better for him socially and emotionally."
"As a mum of 4, its better to wear an additional year of childcare fees to allow them to start school a year later. The benefits for them are huge," wrote a third.
What are the cut-off dates for schools across Australia?
Children need to be 5 years old (or 4 years old in Tasmania) on or before the following cut-off dates to attend school starting in January of that year. The dates vary in each state and territory:
New South Wales: July 31
Victoria: April 30
Queensland: June 30
Australian Capital Territory: April 30
Tasmania: January 1
South Australia: May 1
Northern Territory: June 30
Western Australia: June 30
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