Am I missing something? Finding childcare

[SilentAndQuietLight]

We're imminently moving to a new city, for my husband's work. I'm trying to organise after-school care for my children, who are going to be at different schools (not by my choice, just because of a shortage of spaces).

One school has an attached after-school club. The other offers a few teacher-run clubs but they finish at fiveI'm a shift worker and my husband doesn't finish until five, with a half-hour drive to the school. I can't find any childminders with availablityI've asked on Facebook, registered on the childcare website, asked the school for recommendations...

I feel like I'm going crazy. It's the middle of a southern English city, not the summit of an Alpine bloody mountain. But if I can't find childcare I won't be able to work.

Am I missing a trick? Where should I be looking?

In Somerset we have this https://www.childcare.co.uk/search/Childminders/Somerset?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1Wyj4Ga5QIVitDeCh1N5gdsEAAYASAAEgJbOvDD_Bw

Google county and childminder and hopefully you'll have something similar.

Try pacey

www.pacey.org.uk

Just a google search

Or Facebook search your county or city childminders

Thank you to you both! There seems to be a real shortage of childminders in my area unfortunately, and nothing really in the way of nurseries that do wraparound.

So frustrating. I have job interviews lined up, but ultimately if there's no care I won't be available to work.

If its a town with a university or further education college, can you advertise on the college noticeboard or Gumtree for a local student?

School age kids don't usually need a nanny or childminder if its only pick up, take home, maybe supervise homework, make a snack etc.

A sensible student (CRB checked) can be more than capable. Lots of parents at dd's school use them rather than nannies/CMs and we have too.

Yeah, it's shit. Only one of our local schools has an after school club, to our knowledge. We're also southern Home Counties, families where both parents work are far from untypical! A couple of thoughts (may or may not be relevant to your situation):

1. Ask the school- sometimes school staff who are not yet qualified childminders take children after school, but they may be training towards it for example.
2. There may be an after school club that picks up - eg there is one near us based at a local secondary that sends cars/minibuses to collect from surrounding primaries.
3. Are you on the waiting list for the other school? If so, where on the waiting list? Depending on school year it might move faster than you would expect eg. Our school loses a few to private after the 7+
4. What distance are you from the school? You may qualify for funded transport- and depending on the transport in question this might gain to you a bit of time. Eg our school bus gets back to our stop at around 4. This allows us to work a full day 8-4. This would help you on days that school clubs weren't on and leads me to the final point
5. Can your husband apply for flexible work? Eg start earlier, work through his lunch break?

Oh yes, and after school nannies. Which could be anything from actual nannies to local retired people/students looking for a bit of extra cash. You could try advertising in local shops/on local Facebook groups/ at universities etc. Searching on childcare.co.uk brings up a few students near us advertising babysitting, who might be able to commit to after school. One of my friends found a local student on gumtree!

I think areas do vary a lot. There isn't a lot of provision where I live. Barely any schools do after school or breakfast clubs, we are an area of sahm's.
it might be the same in this area, not everyone works and if it's an area that has little calling, there might not be much provision.