How two mums use wraparound childcare (and what's available to you)

For many working families, wraparound childcare - before and after school care - is what makes the whole week possible. This type of childcare helps parents to stay in work, eases the morning rush and gives children time to play, learn and socialise in a safe environment. 

We spoke to two mums about how wraparound childcare supports their daily routines and careers, and we’ve also included some practical guidance to help you explore what’s available near you.

“It makes so much more sense to do wraparound childcare”

Joanna is a mum of six-year-old twins. She works part-time in a flexible role (three long days a week), while her husband works full-time. For their family, wraparound childcare has always been a core part of making work possible.

“We have two six year old twins and it can be quite chaotic getting everybody ready”, she shares. “We have a lot of things packed the night before such as book bags, water bottles and suncream/hats/gloves etc. They get themselves dressed and my husband does breakfast while I clear up and get other things sorted. 

“My husband then goes to work and I do teeth, shoes and anything else. We have about five minutes between the school gate opening and me needing to leave for work so everything is always a bit tight.”

Wraparound childcare has helped Joanna to work condensed days to reduce costs

To manage, Joanna decided against working five days a week. “Nursery offered pick ups until 6pm, which made the decision to squeeze 3.5 days worth of hours into 3 days much easier”, she shares. “Financially, it made much more sense to work 8.30am to 5.45pm for nursery and this continued when they started school as [their] school offers breakfast and after school clubs.”

Sticking to the routine as her twins reached school-age certainly helped: “Only three lots of commutes for almost four days worth of pay, and I wouldn’t be able to work within school hours. 

“The commute for five short days would be silly. It makes so much more sense to use wraparound childcare.”

“It was simply a matter of we will cross the childcare bridge when we get to it”

Yvonne lives in Kent with her five-year-old son and her partner. She works full-time, often with a long commute into London and late meetings due to working with international teams. 

“When myself and my partner met we had both worked full time jobs since we were out of education”, she shares. “On making the decision to have our son, reducing our hours or giving up our careers was never even considered – it was simply a matter of we will cross the childcare bridge when we get to it, and in the back of our minds I think we both knew that financially it would be detrimental if any of us was not working full time.”

Yvonne continues: “The realisation that wraparound care was needed came pretty early on. 

“Whilst I was fortunate enough to have one year maternity leave, which allowed me to stay home full time with my son for his first year - not returning to work wasn’t a realistic option for me as maternity pay wasn’t sufficient to cover all our joint bills.

While her company offered a full year of maternity leave, the reduced pay during that period meant the family couldn't manage on one income alone.

For Yvonne, wraparound childcare allows her and her partner to continue working full-time

“So he attended nursery from one year old and then by natural progression, when my son started school, it was a no-brainer that wraparound childcare would be needed for him as the school day was shorter than the nursery day”, she explains. 

“Neither myself or my son’s father were in a financial position to reduce our hours to part time hours to cater for the school day.”

What is wraparound childcare and how do you get it?

Wraparound childcare is before and after school childcare for primary school-aged children in England, typically running from around 8am to 6pm during term time.

It might be run by the school itself, a third-party provider on the school site, or a local nursery, childminder or community setting. 

This is different from out-of-school activities, or school clubs, which are less frequent and can be a one-off activity. Wraparound childcare is designed to be consistent and reliable for working families. 

How to access wraparound childcare 

• Begin with your child’s school - ask if they offer breakfast or after-school clubs, or if they can direct you to local providers. 

• Use your local Family Information Service (FIS) - they hold up-to-date lists of wraparound care options in your area. 

• If your school doesn’t offer care, you have the right to request that they consider setting it up. More on that below. 

What financial support is available? 

1. Tax-Free Childcare

If you’re working (including self-employed) and have children aged 0 to 11 (or 0 to 16 if your child is disabled), you could be eligible for Tax-Free Childcare. 

For every £8 you pay in, the government adds £2 - up to £2,000 per child per year. 

You can use Tax-Free Childcare to pay for:

• Breakfast and after-school clubs

• Holiday childcare

• Registered childminders and nurseries 

Joanna explains: “We can plan ahead for the whole year and book all the sessions. We can cancel on the day so it is worth booking in advance. You can pay via Tax-Free Childcare accounts or top-up via the app.” 

Yvonne says: “Payment is not made through the chequed in system though - payments are actually made directly to the school, which I then make through my Tax-Free Childcare account.” 

2. Free Breakfast Clubs

The government is committed to introducing Free Breakfast Clubs in all primary schools, and started with the first 750 early adopter schools from April 2025. Free Breakfast Clubs  ensure children get a soft start to the day, with a healthy breakfast and time to settle before lessons start. 

• The clubs run for 30 minutes before school starts

• All children at participating schools can attend, free of charge

The Free Breakfast Clubs offer has been designed by the government to help ensure children are ready to learn at the start of the school day, and could help working parents save up to £450 a year. 

If your school is part of the early adopter scheme, you will be contacted directly. If not, more information on the national rollout of Free Breakfast Clubs will be confirmed in due course.

Wraparound childcare means Yvonne’s son is cared for, happy and safe in a familiar environment 

What if your school doesn’t offer wraparound childcare?

Parents in England have the right to request that their school consider offering wraparound or holiday childcare if it’s not already available. 

To make a request, you can: 

• Write to your school (by email, letter or parent survey)

• State what kind of care you need (eg breakfast, after school, holiday)

• Include your child’s age, any SEND needs and the days/times you require 

Your school will pass the request to the local authority, check if there’s a demand and respond within a term.

If they decide not to offer care, they should direct you to other options via your FIS. 

Related: From September, more working parents can get up to 30 hours childcare

How Mumsnet users user wraparound childcare

We held focus groups in June 2025 with select Mumsnet users to delve into how wraparound childcare helps them and their families. Here's what they had to say.

Essential for working parents

"Wraparound childcare has meant the difference in being able to work or not. If neither after-school club or childminder wasn't available, quite simply, I would not go back to work." - Jessica*, mum of one from the South East

"I use after school and holiday care. The after school sessions help me complete my work as I work full time, I couldn't do my hours without them. Holiday care provides some respite for me and entertainment for my child during school holidays." - Stacey*, 46-year-old mum of one

Mixing different childcare options

"I use [the] after-school club 2 days a week and also a childminder who collects after school too on the other 2 days. I work full time condensed into 4 days a week so am available for pick-up and collection on the 5th day. My husband does drop off the other 4 days." - Jessica*, mum of one from the South East

"Once a week I have a childminder drop my son into school for me so I can travel into the office. Every day my son attends [an] after school club which only goes on until 5pm so it's a mad dash to get him as soon as I finish my last meeting of the day! During the holidays it's a mixture of a childminder and working from home to manage the juggle as I don't have any grandparents living nearby." - Yvonne, 43-year-old mum of one

When it works well

"The before and after school clubs are both provided by the school. Very easy to use, no worries about spaces being available, reasonably priced and very convenient, they go straight from their classroom to the after school club session." - Joanna, 35-year-old mum of three

Five practical tips from working parents 

1. Book early as you can - especially for holidays

Joanna says: “We try and make sure we don’t book two days in a row” for holiday clubs to avoid burnout. She also finds Fridays are less likely to be fully booked. 

2. Overpay into your Tax-Free Childcare account

“We budget for [expensive months] by overpaying on the Tax-Free Childcare account every month”, Joanna shares. 

3. Get to know your booking systems

Apps like Arbor or websites like ChequedIn make it easier to plan ahead - and make last-minute changes when needed. 

4. Use all available help - even free local options

Yvonne found a church-run half-term club nearby: “It was a huge godsend to me as it saved me money and juggling work, and my son loved it.” 

5. Don’t be afraid to ask for change

Yvonne reflects: “I have struggled with no places being available for breakfast club and made a request that the school open up more places to cater for working parents like myself!” 

Remember: if your school doesn’t offer wraparound childcare, you have the right to request it

“You’re doing the best you can do”, shares Joanna. “You need to be able to manage work and children. They really enjoy it and it’s pretty laid back, it’s not like extra school as they’re doing fun activities.”

Yvonne adds: “I would tell a mum that feels guilty about using wraparound childcare that it’s a natural feeling to have BUT you are also setting a good foundation for your child… 

“Every mum deserves the chance to progress in their career so it will all pay off in the long run.”

Find out more

To find out more about what childcare offers are available, your eligibility and how to apply for these schemes, visit the Childcare Choices website and explore the options available to you. 

It's important to make an informed decision about the wraparound options that work best for your family's needs and budget.

Read next: Why funded childcare is a lifeline for these mums