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Original poster

Charged for sending my child to school during lockdown

127 replies

Hfgjhcjvjv · 01/05/2020 21:32

Hi, just want to see / get an idea if anyone else is experiencing this. I work for emergency services therefore my child has been attending school during lockdown. Recently however the school advised that i need to pay for the outside school hours my child is attending ( breakfast & after school club). That was not the case the first 3 weeks but now it changed. It works out that I will be paying circa £250 a month for childcare. I'm a single parent, normally friends and family help but now obviously its not possible. Anyone else facing this?

OP posts:

Howaboutanewname · 01/05/2020 23:23

The school assume employers will have to amend hours and employers expect staff, including single parents with no support due to shielding, to still be able to work covering a 24/7 plus any emergencies.
Not a worry at all, especially if you have to pay more for childcare then usual and don't know if you will be able to pay your bills

Are you suggesting schools should be providing 24/7 childcare? Free of charge? And given that schools are providing support to key workers only, these are surely some of the only people around now with secure jobs? Surely these people are also being paid overtime for additional hours worked?

Glasgowgin · 01/05/2020 23:24

Round here (scotland) it's free hub nursery or school places from 8am-6pm (inc easter holidays) so it's definitely not that you have to pay everywhere. Only 1 primary school and 1 or 2 nurseries open in our large town and staffed on a rota of teachers / staff from the council nurseries. Have to be both parents or single parent as a key worker. Mine's too old to need it, but my it's been a lifesaver for my colleagues (and me or I'd have no colleagues left!)
I think they are probably still having to pay for their private nurseries (which have all closed) though.

thelittlestrhino · 01/05/2020 23:26

Sorry OP, I think that’s a real shame. Another Scottish teacher here, we’re covering 7.30 - 6, 7 days a week, all food included. Nobody is needing to be paid more as there are plenty of staff to cover. We’re just working outside our usual hours/days. For example, I’ve done a morning (7.30 - 1) and 2 afternoons (12.45 - 6) this week and I’m also in on Sunday.

I guess if they are having to use outside contractors then it will cost extra.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Childcare & nursery Families General education

Herpesfreesince03 · 01/05/2020 23:26

@Tangledyarn I do apologise to the op. Should have started my own thread. I just get frustrated about the forgotten people like me slipping through the nets. I got annoyed by the government announcement that the vast majority of people are covered by their packages, and according to them the people they don’t cover should be fine as they average a couple hundred thousand a year anyway, which is complete bollocks.

Nicknacky · 01/05/2020 23:27

aldi You haven’t.

wonderstuff · 01/05/2020 23:30

Sounds like a better situation in Wales, I'm sure English teachers would provide wrap around care for free if it were organised. My school is secondary so no real need for wrap around care, we're open normal hours but also opened over Easter on a rota. I imagine the school are trying to be fair to their normal external provider and keep them working. Tough in the circumstances though.

Jabba2020 · 01/05/2020 23:35

@Howaboutanewname
Clearly was not suggesting that at all, just giving an insight into the needs of frontline organisations versus the options given to parents and the disparity between.
Overtime does not cover the cost of child care for 3 children, neither can you get childcare for the hours needed, if you can actually find any at all as the vast majority of nurseries locally have closed or are only opening for children who they previously cared for.
It is not ok that people may not be able to pay their rent, mortgage or eat because they are paying for childcare to put themself at risk.

Tiredtiredtired100 · 01/05/2020 23:40

As a teacher and lone parent I think you’re perfectly right to have expected this care to be free. Honestly the point of schools being open for key worker’s is that it is free childcare (hence being open during Easter too) and as a teacher who is on a rota I wouldn’t see the issue with being there a few hours extra the one day a fortnight I was actually in school. I’m sorry this is such a crap situation for you. £250 is not a small amount of money and if I’d just had that added to my outgoings for potentially the next 4 months (if schools continue to provide childcare to key workers over the summer) then that would blow pretty much all my savings.
As others have said though, please do sign up for tax free childcare, it takes a few minutes and would reduce the cost by 20% immediately.
www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare

makingmiracles · 01/05/2020 23:42

Rubbish situation. I’m sure the guidelines on furlough no say you can ask employer to be furloughed for childcare reasons....in you shoes I’d ask employer to furlough me to be honest as I expect 80% of your wages is probably more than 100%- childcare....

Howaboutanewname · 01/05/2020 23:46

It is not ok that people may not be able to pay their rent, mortgage or eat because they are paying for childcare to put themself at risk

Yes, I agree with you there. I am not sure what the solution is in those cases but I hope they are few and far between.

Thegreymethod · 01/05/2020 23:48

@mrsm43s what I meant was a lot of people were asking her what she paid before lockdown so I pointed out she wasn't paying anything as she wasn't using it.

Yes of course if there's a fee then there's a fee it just seems unfair that while a lot of the country are not working and getting 80% of their wage (I know not all are) that keyworkers are going out working possible longer hours/more shifts (which is the case for my husband and his work place so assuming others are similar) and having to pay out to do so.

tumpymummy · 01/05/2020 23:51

There are no breakfast or after school clubs at our school atm. School day is 8.45am-3.30pm like normal.

CrapAndInfirm · 01/05/2020 23:57

Sorry you've had such a hard time. First time I've read any threads I wasn't already on in a while and it's shit people have have a bit of a dick to you.

It's not really difficult to understand why you're a bit shocked to find the extra expense a struggle on top of his Dad and friends and family not wanting you or your child around them.

amy85 · 01/05/2020 23:59

My kids school cancelled the morning and after school club on day two of lockdown...so kids can only go 8:50-3:10

amy85 · 02/05/2020 00:01

OP if you are universal credit or tax credits you should get help for childcare costs through them

redbigbananafeet · 02/05/2020 00:04

You're not paying for your child to go to school. You're paying for your child to go to a usually paid for pre and after school care. Lib not run by the school. I can't see the confusion.

m0therofdragons · 02/05/2020 00:05

Our hospital trust is paying for any additional childcare costs staff face outside the norm (otherwise they’d all be on emergency leave and we’d be low on nurses and doctors). It’s actually a fairly standard issue and where staff are having to use different nurseries to normal as usual ones have closed, they cannot always access the free funding available as you can’t switch mid term.

m0therofdragons · 02/05/2020 00:08

@redbigbananafeet but she wouldn’t normally pay this so this substantial cost is unplanned for. For the privilege of putting her life at risk to work in a hospital during a pandemic she is also financially worse off. It’s not difficult to understand her position.

That said, many people are in a bad financial position so it is hard for some to be sympathetic.

Spacerader · 02/05/2020 00:19

I'm sorry you are getting a hard time op, I agree the school should not be charging. Schools ultimately have been repurposed as free childcare for key workers as such. They are not providing wrapping around care, they are operating the hours the government has set out so that key workers can continue to work.so for them to charge is awful, especially to not charge for three weeks, then decide to charge.

In wales my local hub operates between 8:30 and 5:30 with no charge. In fact wales have even funded free childcare for children below school age in private nurseries still operating so key workers can still attend work

ElizaCrouch · 02/05/2020 00:46

Seems really shit op if you have to pay extra because you can't use your usual childcare options due to government rules, and you have to go to work as a key worker. Really really shit. I think it should be funded for the amount you don't usually pay. I don't see why you should be out of pocket for this. Can you get on to your mp and complain about it?

WorraLiberty · 02/05/2020 00:51

I'm a single parent. Childs dad usually has him some nights and will on some days take him & pick up from school. Because I'm a key worker he has to go to school every week day. His dad won't see him for the simple reason - I work with the public so he doesn't want the germs I bring home. He doesn't support his child financially either because he doesn't work. Doesn't want to. This was the case long before lockdown.

Read your own ^^ words back OP.

You're angry at the wrong people. The father of your DC is a deadbeat loser.

You cant blame your DC's school for that.

Thegreymethod · 02/05/2020 00:56

@redbigbananafeet the confusion is she didn't have to pay at first and is now being charged and she wk served why The OP was only asking other people about their experiences and if they had to pay.
Honestly if people can't understand that the OP is having to pay for something she can't afford so she can go out and save people's lives whilst putting her own and her children's lives in danger then I give up, where is everyone's compassion, she asked a question and people jumped down her throat. Sorry you're going through this OP and hope you get sorted. Interesting that everyone is so shocked at the thought of free childcare for key workers yet Scotland and Wales are doing it.

WyfOfBathe · 02/05/2020 02:37

They are not providing wrapping around care, they are operating the hours the government has set out so that key workers can continue to work.so for them to charge is awful

I'm almost certain that in England the government hasn't set out any specific hours. I've been teaching at the MAT's secondary hub, and we're only open normal school hours.

DD's primary are running normal hours too, with their normal afterschool and breakfast clubs, paid at the normal price.

LolaSmiles · 02/05/2020 06:46

They are not providing wrapping around care, they are operating the hours the government has set out so that key workers can continue to work.so for them to charge is awful
I don't think there are set hours. Different schools are opening different hours in my area.
It's worth the OP talking to the wraparound provider, but they need to be aware the provider may not have the funds to run a service at less than half capacity without having some income from fees.

Longer term, her child's father needs to be providing financially regardless of the current crisis.

IWasThereToo · 02/05/2020 06:47

OP you're clearly being practical, asking a simple question. It is strange they gave it away freely for the first 3 weeks and so would be fair to ask what's changed?

A family member is a modern matron and they've been organising all kinds of payback stuff for staff, so you might find approaching your line manager could find they pay this for you. I know my family member would for their staff, they even organised holiday refunds to keep people here in the uk before the lockdown happened or their itu key workers wouldn't be around when they were most needed!

Good luck sorting this.

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