To expect pre-school to sort out childcare during holidays

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My toddler will be eligible for 30 free hours' childcare from September. We have two options for pre-school: one at the primary school near us and one at the private nursery he goes to now. It's great that they offer this, but the only problem is that both do not have any childcare cover during holidays. My husband and I both work and do not get enough holidays to cover 13 weeks; plus, it would be nice if all of us could be off at the same time!

Holiday clubs etc. do not cater for three-year olds and we do not have any family that could look after our child for a whole day. My sister lives abroad and says their pre-school offers paid childcare all year round. AIBU to think that it's ridiculous that pre-schools are not sorting out cover during school holidays? What are we supposed to do?!

I've never heard of a private nursery that doesn't allow you to use your free hours

Op just put him in preschool nursery and tell the nursery you're currently at you'll still be sending him in the holidays

I don't think it'd be that simple.

I'm surprised the private nursery can't offer you sessions in the holidays.
I'm in a similar position in that we have no family to help us, so have been reliant on paid childcare. Both our kids have therefore continued with their sessions at private nursery on my working days and done term time sessions as nursery one day a week, in addition. I'm sorry I haven't read the whole thread, but have you considered a childminder, or a different nursery?

The 30hrs are coming in regardless and it was the tories that actually introduced it not labout

Should say, additional sessions at school nursery...
we have already had the free 30 hours as in York, which was a pilot area. Has been a godsend as for first stone in a long time our nursery bill has been manageable! Childcare vouchers also help massively...

*time!!! Not stone! My typing is getting worse...

If you want FREE childcare for more than school term time I suggest you look at private daycare settings or childminders. Although you won't get 30 hours a week if you take the 'stretched offer'.

Didn't you consider your childcare arrangements before you planned having children???

Well that is what people round here do, we must be weird then! That or childminders there are LOADS, see them out and about with little ones all summer

Op another option would be to see if you could get a few young adults studying childcare at a college nearby to apply for a sort of mothers help position in the hols, you could pay plus money for days out etc. My dd would be up for a job like this!

Surely this isn't real I'm actually struggling to believe what OP has asked

Of course not ....
Wait until they start school - that's why SAHMs are SAHMs .....

I now understand that his nursery is the odd one out and most others will provide childcare during holidays. When I chose that nursery I never guessed that once he turned three suddenly cover during holidays would stop. It's a shame, because it's a great nursery and it takes my little boy a long time to get settled somewhere, so I prefer not to move him unless to the primary school where he's going to go. I'll have to have a think about what choice to make.

Hilarious. The state should be responsible for looking after my children!

Sort it. The rest of us did!

Luckily it'll only be like this for the next 14 years or so.... You'll be delighted to know once they hit year 5 and onwards there's very little wrap around care too....

And obvs the school holidays..and inset days....snow days...135776544333 squillion outfits to produce at 2 days' notice and weekly demands for money for something.

Wow.

By the way, have you heard about school holidays?

The pre school where I work does offer the 30 hours. We do 3 full days and 2 half days we also have 2 childminders in the area and 3 private nurseries within 5 miles (each direction) you can split the 30 hours it doesn't all have to be in the same place. Also the 30 free hours are staying.
I'm feeling happy that I work term time only

Ha ha ha.... welcome to the real world love Perhaps one of you needs to give up work

What are you going to do when he turns five & goes to school? Its the same answer. You will always need to sort ur own child in the holidays whilst they are in education.

Well as a childminder i cant and wont be taking the funding 30 hrs it does pay to do this we work enough for little pay £4 per hr for 50hr+ wks n we get that cut for funding children. I do cover in holidaybut would charge you £5 per hr... we all have to pay for our child to me looked after that y you had them n choose go back to work fultime. Yes we all wish to have family holidays but me self empolyed it doesnt work with family holiday thays my choice and preschool n childminder for holiday or nursery n pay for the 13wks they are ur choices.

Gd question mahadams2 but schools will do hoilday club for summer so she will only have to sort half terms out. If not school most community centres (my area) do clubs but will have to pay still for these.

Your message is indecipherable doryella. I would be worried if someone with such terrible communication skills was looking after my child quite frankly.

Also, am pretty at the general level of intelligence on this thread. So many posters haven't read and understood properly, but just can't wait to jump in and post sarcastic (and unoriginal) comments.

Dory, I don't know of any schools that do summer clubs and many community schemes don't cover a full working day.

I wouldn't raise OP's hopes- she has high expectations!

OP, I sympathise, but you must see how U you are being? If your current situation doesn't work for your personal circumstances, you have to change something. It is not other people's responsibility to bend to your wishes. I'm sorry to say this will only get worse for you. Your DC will start actual school and depending on how they settle them in, there's a lot of mornings only and having to pick up at lunchtime and your childcare bill goes up because you no longer get the free hours but still need a full day of childcare. Oh and then there are inset days where afterschool/holiday clubs can't open because the inset days are set by individual schools not the local council, you have to take holiday to cover them. It's part of being a working parent.

I sympathise though because I'm in a similar situation with DS1. He starts middle school in September. I can get him there in mornings fine, however he will finish at 3.45pm, they offer no afterschool care, the only local afterschool club can take him but only if I can get him there, its a 1 mile walk, crossing 2 major roads and he will only just be 9. I can't pick him up because I don't drive and it will take me 45 minutes to walk, pick him up and then get back to work. DH works away regularly and it is a lot to ask of a friend to collect him every day. It is not the schools fault that personal circumstances and the local school system are not compatible, and I am working to find a solution for my childcare issue.

Have you tried asking the nursery what other parents do/have done?

The 30 hours free childcare is only available for term time anyway so you'd have to pay anyway regardless of whether they go to a private nursery or school preschool!! You also have to apply for it!!

Schools in my area do not provide holiday clubs or childcare of any kind once in full time school. They will split free hours in preschools that are open throughout the holidays but other than that you sort it yourself. They offer some activities after school sometimes with a number of spaces but these are just for fun & couldnt be used or relied upon as childcare. Iv got no family around me & my friends all Work so iv trained to Work in a school so i can be home with my children in the holidays. My eldest is 8 so even childminder/preschool wont take him in the holidays. Hopefully op's area does offer holiday clubs but its better to find this stuff out before its all happening

Our nursery does up to age 14 (although I don't know of any 14yr olds who want to still be at nursery 😆) in holidays and as wrap around care.

You need to find one that offers it. As I said though some, like ours, won't be letting you split the hours of you get your lo in school nursery. You'll need to check before you agree to one.