Childcare - stuck!

[Happilysinglemum]

I’m so pissed off! I’ve got 2 children age 4 and 7 and I’m a single mum on benefits. I’ve been offered a part time job, great. Approach local childminder, she’s full. Spent yesterday trying to find childcare but no childminder within 10 miles has a space but I have found an after school club 5 miles away. They don’t collect so I need to arrange a taxi, the school have given me the number of the company they use and I’ve just phoned them, they can collect my children but then said someone needed to take them to the taxi as they couldn’t enter the playground, I asked if the driver would have an enhanced dbs and was told no as I am a cash customer. It just seems like a massive safeguarding risk. Where do I go from here? Feel like giving up and staying at home ☹️

That sounds like a nightmare OP. Could you advertise for someone? How many hours childcare do you need?

It’s only after school 2 days a week so 6 hours, problem is I will have most of the childcare paid through universal credits so have to use a registered provider. Benefits calculator says I will end up £40 a week better off (I’ll be working 18 hours) and that’s before I pay for petrol, commuting will be around 150 miles a week. So no spare money to pay privately.

Could you speak to the school and see a local parent could provide until you get a space at the child minder?
Congrats on the job!!

Really don’t think I’d be cheeky enough to ask, not enough spare money to pay, I’m struggling to pay the bills now.

Is there another parent in a similar position that you could "swap" childcare with?