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The short answer
Without grandparents nearby, childcare is often a family's largest monthly cost after rent, so budget it as a fixed bill for each child until school age and cover gaps (sickness, school holidays) separately. Then check the official support where you live: in the UK, Tax-Free Childcare adds £2 for every £8 you pay, up to £2,000 a year per child; in the US, the Child and Dependent Care Credit counts up to $3,000 of expenses for one child; in Canada, governments aim for an average of $10 a day in regulated spaces.
In Nigeria, many families rely on a grandmother, an aunt or a live-in help. Abroad, that safety net is usually absent, and paid care has to cover every working hour, plus the commute. The result surprises many new parents: childcare can match or exceed rent. This guide shows how to build the budget and which public schemes to check. Scheme rules depend on immigration status as well as income, so read the eligibility page for your own visa.
Build the budget in four parts
- Core hours. Hours you both work plus travel, times the provider's hourly or daily rate, times working weeks. Ask providers for their full price list, including registration fees, deposits, meals and nappies.
- Gaps. Provider closure days, school holidays once children start school, and sick days when nurseries will not take a child with a fever. Budget either paid back-up care or unpaid leave.
- Changes with age. Rates for babies are usually higher than for older children; school-age children need before- and after-school clubs instead of full days.
- Support you can claim, entered only after you have confirmed eligibility.
Support schemes to check
United Kingdom
GOV.UK says Tax-Free Childcare pays £2 for every £8 you pay towards childcare, up to £500 every three months (£2,000 a year) per child, or £1,000 every three months (£4,000 a year) for a disabled child. The child must be 11 or under (16 if disabled), and you reconfirm your details every three months. Each parent must expect to earn at least a minimum amount over the next three months (£2,643.68 if aged 21 or over, according to GOV.UK as at October 2026), neither can have adjusted net income over £100,000, and you cannot use it alongside Universal Credit.
United States
The IRS's Topic 602 (reviewed 16 October 2026) says the Child and Dependent Care Credit can count up to $3,000 of care expenses for one qualifying individual and $6,000 for two or more. A qualifying child must be under 13 when care was provided, the percentage of expenses you can claim depends on adjusted gross income, and expenses generally cannot exceed the lower of your and your spouse's earned income. States also run childcare assistance; Texas, for example, offers income-tested Child Care Scholarships through its workforce commission, with a parent share capped at 7% of household income.
Canada
Employment and Social Development Canada says the national early learning and child care plan aims for an average of $10 a day for regulated child care spaces by 2025 to 2026. The fee you actually pay depends on your province and on whether the space is regulated, and regulated spaces can be scarce, so join waiting lists as early as your province allows, sometimes before the baby is born. Unregulated home carers may charge more or less, but their fees are not covered by the plan. The Canada Child Benefit is a separate monthly payment with its own residence and status conditions, which the CRA sets out.
Unregulated care and family from Nigeria
Some families bring a parent from Nigeria on a visitor visa to help. Visitor visas generally do not allow work: GOV.UK says a Standard Visitor cannot do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as self-employed, and can usually stay up to six months. A visiting grandparent can help at home as family, but should not be employed or paid as a carer, and a six-month visit is not a childcare plan for the year. Informal neighbourhood carers may be cheaper but are often unregistered, and government schemes generally pay only providers that are signed up to them, so ask any carer whether they accept scheme payments before you count the support in your budget.
Worked example
Example only. A couple in Manchester pay a nursery £900 a month for one child, £2,700 a quarter. Under the £2-for-£8 rule the government's share would be 20% of the bill, £540, but the cap is £500 a quarter per child, so the government pays £500 and the parents pay £2,200. Over a year that is £8,800 from the parents instead of £10,800. A second child in the same nursery would have a separate £500 cap. Figures are illustrative; check your own provider's rates.
Where Pryme fits
If you are also sending money to parents or saving in naira for family at home, a Pryme Personal account keeps NGN, GBP, USD and EUR side by side, so the childcare budget and money for Nigeria do not get mixed up. Every Personal Account customer can set up a Personal Assistant Agent (default name Eva) to prepare bill reminders and savings transfers, with nothing moving until you approve (Personal Assistant). Naira Savings Boxes are for naira held in Nigeria (Savings Boxes). For the wider plan, see budgeting your first salary while supporting home and how big an emergency fund should be.
What to check first
- Your visa conditions on public funds before applying for any scheme.
- Full provider price lists, including fees and closures.
- Waiting-list timings in your area.
- Whether your chosen provider accepts payments from the scheme you plan to use.
Questions people ask
Can I use Tax-Free Childcare on a Skilled Worker visa?
It depends on your status. GOV.UK says you need permission to access public funds unless you are British, Irish or have settled or pre-settled status; many work visas say no recourse to public funds, so check your eVisa.
How much does the US childcare tax credit cover?
IRS Topic 602 says expenses up to $3,000 for one qualifying person and $6,000 for two or more can count, with the percentage set by your adjusted gross income.
Is childcare really $10 a day in Canada?
That is the national average target for regulated spaces for 2025 to 2026, according to ESDC. Actual fees and availability vary by province.
Can my mum come from Nigeria on a visitor visa to look after the children?
She can visit, but visitor visas generally do not allow work, paid or unpaid, so she should not be employed as a carer.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Tax-Free Childcare · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Tax-Free Childcare, check if you're eligible · accessed Oct 2026
- IRS: Topic no. 602, Child and Dependent Care Credit · accessed Oct 2026
- ESDC: Early learning and child care · accessed Oct 2026
- Texas Child Care Solutions: Child Care Scholarships · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.