Is wraparound care (lack of) stopping people working?

[DogDaysNeverEnd]

Following on the another thread where the op was asking about the cost of care. We're in the process of picking a school for reception in September. Both parents work and no family in the area so if we want to work we have to have wraparound. Work can be erratic so whilst it's possible to finish early some days there are others when it's definitely not.

So far 1 school has private provider for £22, another is in house for £14.25 and a third for £17. The first school said they will allocate sessions in July, but may not be able to offer all that we need and whatever we ask for will have to stay the same for the year. The second is fully flexible and can be booked weekly, with emergency cover available. The last one said, sorry, but they may not have any sessions available as there is a waiting list for every day and existing pupils get priority. They said lots of childminders have quit during Corona and this is the impact.

If we don't get in to the second school we cannot both work. Are we just unlucky or are other people having the same problem?

Primary school offered no wrap round at all. DD went to nursery and then by blind luck friend retrained as a CM just as she got too old to go. Lucky as she was the only CM picking up from her school. Otherwise I would have been unemployed.

Secondary is a whole other issue. I have to wait till DD leaves till I can leave as she’s not confident locking up yet. She can’t go to breakfast club on her own as in wrong direction, she can’t walk there on her own in the dark, so has to walk with others later. I make to work by the skin of my teeth. I work reduced hours so I get home same time as her. It’s hard work.

It's shit and I find people really don't understand why I don't work.

@TheOneWithTwoParties I totally get this and I've heard similar from people I know.

"But they cope in school, they'll cope in childcare"
From experience, they won't. I've tried. They've tried. It didn't work. School is a long enough day for them and pushed them more or less to their limit, if I was to tack on another 3-4 hours to their day to include childcare, as well as the transition between school and childcare, then they'd go beyond their limit.

"Just give the oldest a house key, they'll be fine".
Before or after they burn the house down, dismantle the washing machine, and/or shave the cat? Because lack of impulse control, issues with processing, and difficulty understanding boundaries are going to make being home alone a really interesting experience.

"Could you not just work during school hours?"
1, these jobs are like hens teeth and 2, I'm 'on call' during school hours for inevitable and unpredictable phone call to say something has been lost or forgotten and can I drop off a replacement, or child is having a meltdown can I go collect or child has had an accident can I bring clothes as they won't wear the school ones or so on. Not to mention EHCP reviews, SEN meetings, target settings, and a myriad appointments. Some weeks I do nothing, other weeks I'm barely home because of running here, there, and everywhere. Employers don't like unreliable employees.

Yep, all of that @Hospedia. If I did try and get a nanny I'm not sure who'd sign up for the job.

I should say not because my children aren't great. But they don't want to do all the stuff nannies sell themselves on. They just want to be left alone to read/play computer games.

It absolutely does and it's utterly shit.

Absolutely. It's a nightmare.

Went back to work as a single parent after a divorce with 2 dcs aged 6 and 4. No family help at all due to distance. The stress of not knowing whether holiday club would run each holiday (at a different primary) was horrendous. Xh worked overseas so couldn't ever commit to doing his bit. Fortunately some luck and a decent employer got me through it and I now look back and shudder at how bad it was.

I think wraparound care should be available everywhere possible and provision made clear. And workplaces be as flexible as possible with working hours, shift patterns etc. Without this, it's virtually impossible for single parents to work at all and the benefits cycle perpetuates.

I was at a meeting of economists once (I'm an economics teacher) and I raised this issue as we were discussing the gender pay gap. The whole room looked at me blankly. They didn't know the term 'wraparound care'. See, this is why the problem never gets solved - the people in a position to make a difference don't know it's a problem or don't care - it doesn't affect them.

Phineyj I suspected as much! Honestly it wasn't on my radar, I feel like I've sleep walked into this one. I just sort of assumed there would be wraparound, however I'm not responsible for the economy so I think I'm forgiven. If this was fixed, how many more people would be available to work? I'd love to crunch the numbers on that.

Yes, definitely. I work 30 hours a week (single parent) and can't work any more because there's no wrap around availability. School only had space on one day a week so DS goes to wrap around on that day and a relative is able to do drop off and pick up on another day for me. So I work 2 full days but the other 3 days I can only work school hours.

I can't afford a nanny, I earn minimum wage.

Have you checked local nurseries? We offer wraparound childcare for primary school children and do school drop off and pick ups. This seems to be a common provision locally to support primary school children. We also do holiday care.

Reading these posts I’m wondering whether things have changed post Covid? Ours are both in secondary now and I wfh full time so everything is easier but when they were in primary our local village school had really good wraparound care, albeit more expensive than some of the figures quoted here. Also a choice of holiday clubs they could go to and we live semi-rurally away from a big town.

@DogDaysNeverEnd

I just want to emphasise as well that I'm not even talking about the cost (even though that's a huge issue) but ANY provision - there is 1 school in our area (which we are out of catchment for) that can offer cover to 5:30pm. That's it. And yes, getting the information is a faff. I really feel for parents and kids with additional needs, it's so tough.

Might start an aibu about offering to be a lorry driver in exchange for childcare...

I had a look at the websites of the six schools nearest to us:

1. DD’s school - breakfast club, ASC until 6, and holiday club on site.
2. ASC until 5.30
3. Breakfast club, ASC until 6, but website hasn’t been updated since 2019.
4. Breakfast club, ASC until 5.30
5. Breakfast club, ASC until 5.45
6. Nothing (according to the website)

There are some other holiday clubs run in the school holidays (sports, mainly), but is assumed most schools ran their own holiday clubs like ours does.

I think there has been some changes from Covid - we looked round school 2 in 2019 and were told they had breakfast club, ASC, and holiday club.

This is in a northern city, and a mix of inner city and suburban schools, where you’d think there would be enough children to make wrap-around care viable. I imagine it would be harder in smaller towns/ rural areas.

It was only easy to find the information on the website for schools 3 and 4, which both had a link to wrap around care from the main page. On DD’s school, for example, it’s under ‘information for parents’ then the club name, but if you don’t know the club name, how can you find it?

@Phineyj

I was at a meeting of economists once (I'm an economics teacher) and I raised this issue as we were discussing the gender pay gap. The whole room looked at me blankly. They didn't know the term 'wraparound care'. See, this is why the problem never gets solved - the people in a position to make a difference don't know it's a problem or don't care - it doesn't affect them.

Yes.

It's only on Mumsnet that school (the building) is not seen as childcare. In the real world, it is seen as childcare but those without school age children forget that school is only 6 hours per day, 38 weeks a year. To maximize the available workforce we need a) flexible working patterns and b) consistent and affordable childcare for outside of school hours/ term time.

I asked about this previously. It's "policy" that it should be available but there doesn't seem to be any push or funding provided. Whatever was put in could easily make loads more back in taxes.
My DS copes with low key after school care a couple of days a week but his PRU doesn't provide anything. He'd be fine hanging out with a TA and being allowed to watch TV or play on a tablet. But there is the assumption that no parents need this so they don't even think about it. Many children come in taxis but often one or two per car so if it was mandated that extra transport costs had to be borne by the LEA it would be possible to provide these for children who come to school by taxi (which also happens at rural schools).
I imagine that schools charge less rent to wrap around clubs but other than that (which will make the school more money than having no club) parents will be able to pay the way of the club.
I am sure there are many more hidden costs but as I say it will increase tax revenue.
I work 0.6 and a colleague recently was refused a request to work 0.5 so I have no scope at all to reduce my hours.
I think this would make an excellent Mumsnet campaign @mnhq

Our little one is in reception now and the only we do it is with after school club and both of us working from home.

To thise wondering whty parents didnt think of this before having children. I was married when I had my 2 dc. 2 sets of willing GPS.

I'm now single. My dps have moved, the laws have withdrawn all support.

The school we were allocated (catchment, 3rd choice) has no wrap around.

1st choice, over subscribed
2nd - oversubscribed, 10 Miles in the wrong direction for work

I had factored in the cost but not the lack of availabilty. I saw schools had afterschool clubs so thought that would be fine. Didnt realise they were often not big enough for the demand or unreliable, or limited hours.

I also hadnt factored in that my child would struggle at them and that his special school wouldnt run them at all.

@Elephantsparade

I had factored in the cost but not the lack of availabilty. I saw schools had afterschool clubs so thought that would be fine. Didnt realise they were often not big enough for the demand or unreliable, or limited hours.

I also hadnt factored in that my child would struggle at them and that his special school wouldnt run them at all.

Yes. Lack of spaces if the school do have one and your kids not wanting to go are big factors. I appreciate that at times kids have to suck it up and do stuff they don't want to but if they hate wrap around care and you need it 3+ times a week it's heartbreaking.

Yes I forgot to add, sheer lack of availability is an issue here. Let alone cost.