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Muslim Single Mother and Uber Driver Tania Naseer, 33, Pioneers Smart Childcare Solution, Saving £300 Annually
In a landscape where childcare costs continue to burden working families, Tania Naseer, a 33-year-old single mother and dedicated Uber driver, has shed light on a remarkable perk that saves her approximately £300 a year. Through a partnership between Uber and the Bubble Childcare app, Tania, a resident of the UK, receives 20 hours of free childcare annually, significantly easing the financial strain of managing her family's needs while maintaining her flexible work schedule.
Tania, who is of British nationality, is a mother to three children aged 12, 8, and 9. Her work as an Uber driver often demands irregular hours, frequently starting in the early hours of the morning or extending into the evening. "I tend to do quite early mornings," Tania explains. "I live quite close to an airport, so I’ll start about 2 am or 3 am, then Uber is busiest around the school run time. My kids leave school and then they have various clubs, so that ties them up until around 6:30 pm. They’ll come home, have dinner, then they’re in bed at 7:30 pm. When I start early, I finish around 2 pm or 3 pm. But if there is a day when I start later, that’s when it can overlap into the evening."
The Bubble Childcare app, which facilitates flexible childcare bookings, has been instrumental for Tania. The app allows parents to find and book vetted babysitters or post their own childcare requests, offering a much-needed solution for those with non-traditional working hours. Tania praises the convenience and adaptability of the service: "I discovered Bubble through Uber as they were offering free hours and what I love is that it’s not traditional childcare, where I’m going to drop my kids off to a nanny or nursery. It’s somebody coming out to you, or picking the kids up from school or taking them out for the day. I’ll utilise my childcare by planning days out for the kids. It gives the kids an experience as well, as they aren’t tied at home while I’m working. I’m a single parent so there are always times where you don’t have the other parent to take them to the movies, or other things. It is very easy to use."
Uber's initiative to provide 20 hours of free childcare annually via Bubble is part of a broader trend where employers are recognizing the critical need to support their staff with childcare solutions. Other companies also partner with Bubble or offer similar schemes, such as salary sacrifice schemes for childcare vouchers, which can reduce an employee's Income Tax and National Insurance payments.
Beyond employer-provided benefits, the UK government has been expanding its free childcare schemes. As of recent changes, working parents of nine-month-olds can now access 15 hours of free childcare a week, with plans to increase this to 30 hours a week from September 2025. Eligibility criteria generally require parents to earn the equivalent of the national minimum wage for 16 hours a week on average, but less than £100,000 a year. Furthermore, all parents of three and four-year-olds are entitled to 15 hours of free childcare, with working parents potentially qualifying for 30 hours if they meet the earnings threshold.
The Tax-Free Childcare scheme also offers significant support, providing an online account where for every £8 paid in by a parent, the government adds £2, up to £500 every three months per child (or up to £1,000 for disabled children). This scheme is available for children aged 11 or under, or up to their 16th birthday if they are disabled.
Tania's experience underscores the vital role that flexible childcare solutions and employer support play in enabling parents, especially single parents, to balance work and family life effectively. Her story serves as an encouraging example for others to explore available benefits and government schemes that can significantly alleviate the financial burden of childcare.
