Just a quick question, can a single mum or indeed a couple be forced to put thier children into childcare inorder for them to go out to work?

op - I know nothing about benefits and having a child with SN so can offer no advice.

Other than to say you may get a few more people coming on and having a go at you after reading the OP and not seeing the vital piece of information you gave later.

And also make sure you give all details in the OP in future

ah xposts.

Op - I would tell them what you've told us. Just do it at the beginning

Tell them that your ds is autistic and has recently been moved to a special school and as such you would find it difficult to find a job that fitted in with the hours etc, esp as childcare for children with sn is often very hard to come by.

There are parents of children with sn that work, might be worth asking on the sn boards about it, but I do see your difficulty.

What issues are you having with your 9 year old son? Can you get further help if you are being called out by the school?

It is not easy to hold down a job when you are constently being called to the school with problems. Have you spoken to the school anbout a letter to explain what the situation is?

Have you looked into becoming a TA?

wannabe - OP has updated to say one of her DC has autism.......

She has an autistic child did you not read the post?

OP will in a couple of years be in the same position as you.

Do you recieve DLA for your autistic child? because I think that rules for income support and JSA do not apply in that case. Also do you recieve Carers Allowance.

I too get called to school a couple of times a week and we are now trying to get ds into a special school as he is just not getting on in MS.

Good Luck to you.

Are you or your son in receipt of any benefits for SN/disability?

If so your benefits might not be stopped when your youngest turns 7.

How all this affects you should have been explained at one of your work focused interviews.

Oh, OK. Obviously totally different if you have an autistic child. Do you get DLA or attendance allowance for him? I think you need to post this in the SN board - there will be parents who can advise on support for parents of children with SN. You chucked yourself into a Lions Den putting this in politics!

I'm glad your ds is setttling in school.

op, is the question you're actually asking whether you can request hours that only cover school hours/holidays thus meaning you wouldn't have to put your children into childcare?

To which the answer would be no. Well you could ask, but no employer is obliged to employ you on those hours.

Most people don't want to put their children in childcare, but most don't have a choice.

Jobs that are only school hours are almost impossible to come by, so you will just have to bite the bullet and put your children into childcare.

I feel a bit shit too - sorry - thought you were one of those giving us single mum's a bad name

Ah
just read your last post
don't drip drip info
you will get jumped on

ahh now you see OP it's really a good idea to put key points - such as a child with autism or SN in your OP otherwise we all get the wrong end of the stick

Older kids LOVE going on holiday playschemes etc! there comes an age where they would rather be with children their own age during the day than be at home with Mum. The long school hols get very boring ofr them - especially if there is little cash for days out etc.

DP and I aren't on high salaries and we both have to work to keep an average roof over our heads..it's a fact of life, and not a bad thing fo children to learn, either.

What is it that worries ou about which kinds of childcare?

Bloody hell
you refuse to work if it means you will need to use childcare
I thought this was going to be about a mum of a baby or toddler

they are 6 and 9 fgs
do you think the government should pay for you to be a sahm then?
whilst the rest of us juggle parenting childcare and work with no financial help?

Being a sahm is a luxury, especially once your dc are at school
not many people can afford it
including you

get a grip

Bugger now I feel shite.
Why did you not give all the details in your OP?
Sorry to tar you with a brush.

Perhaps you should have given all the information in your first post....

Stop claiming benefits then you can make what ever choice you are comfortable with.

I think when the youngest child is 7 you will have the choice made for you.
A labour policy implemented last year.

We would all rather not use child care. Unfortunately it would bankrupt the country if we all claimed benefits so we could sit at home all day waiting for our precious ones to return.

MumInBeds said it the best. You can't be 'forced' to put your children in childcare, but you also can't expect someone else to fund you if that option is available.

It is hard, but most people have to go back long before their youngest is 6.

I found it much easier once mine were at school - only the after school club to pay for during term time, rather than the full time child minder.

I worked part time (3 days) and shared all day play dates with other part time mums during the holidays.

What is your particular worry about childcare?

When your youngest child is 7 years old the element of your IS that is paid for you will be withdrawn and replaced with JSA which means you will need to be actively seeking work.

I'm sure most parents would like to work 10am till 2pm and for only 39 weeks a year so they could be their children whenever they are not in school but unfortunately the vast majority of jobs will require more of your time.

Without going into the rights and wrongs of you working/not working, is it possible that either now/in the future the job centre (or whoever makes these decisions) would consider that school hours are in reality 8am-6pm? (ish)

This would take into account that all schools should have (or give access to) wraparound care to cover these hours, or will have to in the near future.