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?!

13 weeks? Count yourself lucky!

Where do I begin? Firstly maybe you should use a little thing called imagination, a lot of churches and other organisations run SUMMER SCHOOL. And secondly why the hell do you think pre-school should run 365 days minus your holidays to accommodate your family? I'm a single mum and I work, my sons dad works we make it work together. It's called being a parent and taking responsibility for your child/children

YYABIU

Nurseries, childminders and pre-schools do not have to offer the free 30 hours of childcare coming up in September. It is up to the provider. As a registered childminder, I charge £ 60 a day, which is average where I live, but if I were to sign up for the 'free' 30 hours of childcare the local authorities would give me £4.11 an hour per child. I would have to find a way to subsidise the children taking up the 30 hours of free childcare (because of their age) by raising the fees for younger children, charging every meal and snacks, charging for any outings, or taking a significant pay cut.

I know it's not what parents want to hear, but my prediction is that many private nurseries will go out of business because of this; will recruit completely untrained staff (such as apprentices, which will be paid below the minimum wage), offer zero hour contract to staff, and cut in every possible way they can in order to make their business work. Give it five years and there will be a shortage of nursery places. Not only that but the quality of provision will decline.

How about finding a nursery that offers the 30 hours AND is open all year round. Just a thought!

BTW, it's not true only teachers can work term time only, some of the admin staff at the uni I work at choose to work term time only, even though our work is all year round

YABU- it's a pre-school, not a nursery.

Should school sort out your childcare then when they're of school age?!

Agreed little miss

I'm in Scotland and my preschool is open during the holidays, only for 2 days mind but it's still open

Yeah I think it's shocking that teachers and pre school teachers expect holidays. Surely they should be sacrificing them to look after the kids of parents that can't be bothered or feel hard done by having to pay for a few hours!

Firstly are you on crack op?

This has got to be a joke because surely people THIS entitled aren't sharing this planet?

Look after your own kids/sort necessary care or don't bloody have them in the first place.

I am fortunate that my preschool also operated a breakfast, afterschool and holiday club from the same location from 2.5 - 11 years/end of primary. Not all places offer this as they are pre 'SCHOOL' not childcare! Before I found this amazing place my eldest went to a preschool in a different village and I had to source a different provider for the holidays. It's a pain but it's what you have to do as a parent!!

My sons both have children at primary school, so I am not that OLD......
When my boys started school, the older was 4 years and 10 months due to a July birthday, and the younger was 5 years and 4 months due to a birthday in September.
I am continually astounded how early children are shunted out to a form of day care in this 21 century, and here you are wanting them cared for throughout the holidays too!!
AYBU? I would say definitely YES YOU ARE.

How odd that a private nursery doesn't take extra children in the holidays. I've never come across one that doesn't have school holiday provision. Most want the extra business.
My children's primary has a holiday club catering from 3-12 year olds. I know other parents use play schemes and child minders.

I believe you are entitled to 26 weeks unpaid leave for childcare purposes for each child under 5. (At least I was).

I think you are confused.

You do not have to move your child to a pre school.

Childminders, nurseries and preschools all work to the same curriculum.

If you need full time care then a nursery or childminder will be better for you.

A childminder may also split your 32 weeks of 30 hours (960 hours) over 52 weeks.

YABU I don't know any pre school that offers this. Private nursery yes but not pre school. You as a parent are responsible for arranging holiday cover.

You sound a wee bit entitled. Yes it is annoying the setup of your nursery but surely you knew this when you enrolled your D.C. there.

OP you have years of juggling childcare and work ahead of you.

And yes there could be better childcare on offer but it is your child after all.

Are you serious? You have to pay for the extra like everyone else

Feel like I'm spoiling all the fun, but the government website lists local nurseries using your postcode, tells you what hours they cover offsted rating etc. Think this is the link: www.gov.uk/find-nursery-school-place

Thanks moremusic, but it doesn't show the hours for the nurseries in my region.

Lovely suggestions given by some to stop working or trying to make you feel guilty that your children go to nursery. Really helpful

I use to work at a holiday club that catered for children 3-11 so there are some holiday clubs that will take 3 year olds if u ring ur local authority or google holiday clubs in ur area.

Persistentdonor it has got nothing to do with how old you are, but why haven't you grasped that millions of children are in childcare full time from the age of under 12 months these days? How do you imagine the 20 and 30 somethings who are parents to these children pay for their housing??