Holiday camps cancelled- what are key workers supposed to do?

[Dishwashersaurous]

My children’s holiday camp provider has just emailed to say that despite thinking that they were going to run, they have been told by department for education that they cannot run.
I booked these days in September.

I understand that if dfe say that they cannot run then they cannot.

But my aibu is what am I , and millions of other parents, supposed to ?

We’ve been just about coping but I was clinging on to the summer camps to enable us both to work normally.

Grandparents are not legally allowed in the house.
No where is open.
I can’t take anymore leave/ unpaid leave etc, nor can my husband as it’s been used up in the crisis so far.

I agree if you can use grandparents do it - what else are parents expected to do this is getting absolutely ridiculous.

I cannot believe how bad it's getting. All parents need a bloody break this can't go on.

Could you afford to share a nanny with another family? Assuming you have more than one child and the other family has too?
If the other family is a single parent family (or you are) you are just having a legal family bubble (if not, designate yourself a childcare hub).
I have had 2 great babysitters with experience, but not qualifications, from childcare.co.uk (and some duds, just to warn you). Some that are listed on there are students home from Uni (even in normal times, must be loads now).
We now have DS' former TA (DS has SEN and it's hard to find a babysitter). Some TAs have been laid off so many may be looking for work too.

There will be some twonk in a minute who’ll suggest ‘just employ a nanny’. Or ‘get an au pair’. Because teenagers are just desperate to visit the corona capital of Europe

A friend who runs a long established temp and permanent nanny agency has said she hasn't been able to supply even a small part of the new demand from the very beginning. She also trains, and was offering locally to run free courses for potential candidates (first aid, safeguarding, basic cookery, play ideas etc) but no take up.

@Dishwashersaurous

that is a ridiculous statement - this is a conservative government don't you think they want the economy up and running again? blame the unions who are doing everything in their power to stop schools opening . The media who every time schools are mentioned - say can you guarantee schools are 100% safe for our children ( nothing is 100% safe) , blame the virus that has attacked some your normal group of possible childminders ( grandparents) .

perhaps you should talk to nurses and doctors and see if they think now is the best time to just abandon everything that has happened to reduce deaths so far ?

It is insane they're going to reopen pubs but not holiday clubs

Shows you what they care about

I don’t think the look after your own children is being an ‘oracle’

These things are a privilege not a right.

I'd be surprised to find you think much at all, tbh.

I can only think that they are planning on extending family bubbles and expecting this to cover most childcare in the school holidays

Great if you live a 10 minute drive away, not so great if family are over 3 hours away...

Government would also have to get round the issue of letting people into your home (unless they expect your children to sit in granny and grandads garden for 9 hours, in the rain). Once this rules gone it will literally be a free for all.

I'm not sure a student nanny would work for us as 2 of mine have autism and need someone qualified?

@SusieOwl4- but how it is less risky for infection rates if parents are forced into using vulnerable grandparents, unqualified students working for multiple families, nanny shares, or ad hoc arrangements with friends? This thread shows that people feel they don't have a choice and their hand is being forced. And all of these things will incur more social mixing than a holiday club operating within existing social distancing guidelines.

F*uck it, let's just give all the kids the money we were going to send on holiday camps and send them to the pub. Plenty of socialisation and adult supervision. Drinks, snacks and meals on tap. Pubs open early and we can all pick them up at 5PM.

This is a long shot and probably an unsuccessful one but you contact the camp and ask if they have any staff that may be looking for work over the summer?

In theory there’s lots of dbs checked childcare providers out of work this summer. It’s putting the two together

all of these things will incur more social mixing than a holiday club operating within existing social distancing guidelines.
If we had one nanny/babysitter in our home with our two DCs and someone else's two DCs this would be less person-person contact than they will get at holiday club - as it would be a smaller group of people and they aren't enforcing social distancing at holiday club.

i think they'll have to change the rules soon to social bubbles at least-otherwise what are people meant to do

The government are going stress parents so much I wouldn’t be surprised to see the numbers of workers off with stress/anxiety increases dramatically in the coming months.

*they aren't enforcing social distancing at holiday club

Why do you think that? The holiday club we used intended to follow the same bubble model they use in schools, and operates entirely outside, in the woods. But because it isn't on school premises, it can't run.

In your example, how many people does the nanny live with? Because if it's you and your two dc, plus another family with their two dc, plus the nanny, who potentially has a partner and dc...that's starting to add up.

Surely the laws on registration & police checks haven't changed for people not working in the dc home? & minimum salary even for random student haven't changed?
Which means that students can only look after one families child in the child's home (not shared unless they do different days for each family)
& the parent has to pay minimum wage even for one dc which means for many families this is not affordable & they wont get state childcare support to help.
However the infamous Hancock has said that that there should be an announcement soon about shielded people & because pubs & restaurants are pushing for lowering the distance (because its uneconomical) down to 1 metre - there may be some other changes afoot.
Basically if they reduce the distance for restaurants they will logically have to reduce the distance at schools & other childcare establishments? Whether or not 1 metre is really safe
lets wait & see I bet the distance thing will come through & the consequences for September will mean schools etc will be opening up
Second wave anybody (watching news & Raab mentioning Second Wave risk re international news)?

@listsandbudgets but they will have to be outside with the smokers

EvilPeas's suggestion is a good one. My twin sons have just finished university. There are loads of students looking for jobs and plenty of those kind of people work every summer in holiday clubs. I used to do residential ones in my university holidays as did my daughter (although she did them abroad but it is a similar thing - students, good with children, doing holiday clubs/camps)

As someone mentioned above Barracudas (which our children have been on in the past) are not opening this summer www.barracudas.co.uk/why-barracudas/news/why-have-you-cancelled-all-the-summer-camps/

Why do you think that?
Because I can see the children playing in the playground/sitting together doing crafts when I pick up my DD. It's not like they are wrestling each other but they also aren't sitting 2m apart. Adults aren't hugging each other but they also spend a lot of time in the same room.

So you have
Holiday club worker - lives with parents - not socially distancing at work - has 15 children in the bubble at work plus maybe 3 other adults. Children cared for each have an average of 1.5 parents and 0.5 siblings they are in contact with at home. Average of 1 parent per child is out at work.

Babysitter - lives with parents - not socially distancing at work - has 4 children in household bubble, works at the larger family home where both parents are out at work, other family home has one parent at home and the other one out at work.

The number of non-family contacts the parents have is more or less impossible to calculate but the holiday club worker is with 15 children and 3 adults. The babysitter is with 4 children and no adults (as they can maintain social distancing when coming to work, just as holiday club doesn't allow parents into the room/playground).

But apparently its safer for people to get together and smoke than it is for children to attend holiday club. It will be in their best interests!!

We are already using grand parents and have for several weeks. We are both full time (NHS and Royal Mail). Our daughter had been attending school throughout lockdown but as they are no longer providing wraparound care the opening times are unsuitable for us. Both of our managers suggested unpayed leave, not sure how we are so poised to pay mortgage and bills without pay!

alternative (which I know has so many holes of who it wont work for!) is if workplace could assist by allowing workers to share care ie exchanging work & childcare

I have just checked the holiday club I use, Koosa kids, based in a school. They are currently taking bookings but with a warning that they may not be able/allowed to operate,

Ask staff who you know from camps, schools, nurseries etc.
All your football coaches, swimming coaches, dance teachers, music teachers etc.

Ask your friends to do a childcare bubble. If they have teens/uni age children ask if they want to make some cash.

All the parents from play dates and sleep overs from school ask them.

I have zero family. It’s just me and my dc’s. At times haven’t been afford to pay for any care, of had little funds. I have done the above when needed.

Doing the share care with friends is great as long as you have strict rules from the beginning to discourage piss takers. And first sign of it they are booted out.