What happens to children over the summer?

[Randomfires]

Have I missed something because I’m sure the government said that there were to be childcare schemes set up but I can’t find anything further on this since early June.

Husband and I are keyworkers and the local holiday summer schemes are all closed. Some of the schools are doing a play scheme but not ours. Really confused as to what we’re meant to do when schools shut in 3 weeks.

I think as you say, guidelines came too late. Round by me, outdoor clubs took a punt On going ahead because they are outdoors. Facilities related to a school took a punt because they have staff furloughed that they can unfurlough and the equipment/premises is there anyway. Nurseries with holiday clubs seem not to be running, maybe as they don’t have staff or because the main preschool business has been prioritised. private clubs that hire premises and buy in kit seem not to be running. The guidelines probably came too late for them to commit and market the business. It may be different in different areas but I don’t know of any clubs that are subsidised by council/government.

They came too late. We have to organise food, staffing and any new equipment for each holiday session. There are cut off points when you can do that. The guidelines came out too late for that to be done.

While the keyworker justification may not be there to the same level you now have doctors and nurses who should be catching up on the NHS backlog scrambling for childcare. Someone I know who has been doing deliveries for Tesco, still needed by the shielding and vulnerable, has had to quit.

It would also have been much easier to scale up for places. If the keyworker provision had been allowed we'd have planned to open for then. I'd have had a chunk of planning done, a chunk of food bought and a rota in place. It would have been much easier for me to expand from 20 to 60 at short notice than from scratch. And even if I couldn't have done 20 to 60 I might have been able to do 20 to 40, still increasing considerably local availability. I couldn't do any of that from a standing start at such short notice.

lyralalala it wouldn't have been too late at all.

The LAs could have just dusted off the schemes they had had running for years, modified them to account for covid safety measures and they'd have been good to go. Staff who worked for them each year. Venues that were used each year. Plentiful other local venues and council bank staff to draw on.

There used to be a universality aspect to social services - that services existed for the benefit of all, not just when people were indire straits (and now not even then).

@christinarossetti19

lyralalala it wouldn't have been too late at all.

The LAs could have just dusted off the schemes they had had running for years, modified them to account for covid safety measures and they'd have been good to go. Staff who worked for them each year. Venues that were used each year. Plentiful other local venues and council bank staff to draw on.

There used to be a universality aspect to social services - that services existed for the benefit of all, not just when people were indire straits (and now not even then).

I run a holiday playscheme. It was too late for us. The places we order food and resources from all had dates they needed orders by to guarantee delivery. Bearing in mind they are also having to work around the current situation with staffing etc.

We had several plans for several options, but then we hit a point where we couldn't guarantee getting food and supplies so had to draw a line under it.

We were also lucky that ours is all volunteer staff so I knew who was available and who wouldn't. LA staff are all working all over the shop at the moment.

The best thing would have been for the government to give the go ahead for bubbled set ups earlier on, then relaxed measures if they felt comfortable.

Even LA's would have needed more notice to get set up than getting the constantly changing guidance a few days ago (and guaranteed it'll change at least once more)

There are at least 6 clubs running near me -the guidelines didn’t seem to come too late for everyone? They are running on a modified basis eg we have to provide a packed lunch - but they are running

@ceeveebee

There are at least 6 clubs running near me -the guidelines didn’t seem to come too late for everyone? They are running on a modified basis eg we have to provide a packed lunch - but they are running

The ones that are running are ones that could get around supply and organisation issues or had the funds to pay extra for supplies at short notice.

A lot are also ones that gambled by taking bookings and payments in the hope it would all be ok.

We don't have cash reserves because we're a low cost model. We rely on some funding (which we can only use for the set things) and the money we get from parents. I couldn't take and spend that money without a guarantee we could run.

There are some running locally here as well, but they fall into the first three categories. Also they are all charging more than normal (one is charging double as they have half capacity)

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying.

Back in the day, councils had reserves, of all resources. Children could bring their own food (the ones that my children have been to have always done this anyway). Councils would have had the capacity to allocate the FSM vouchers to each scheme, so that supplies could have been bought locally at short notice.

Some councils, like Islington, still do this. Their six playschemes are planning to run free of charge all summer, with appropriate covid measures in place.

I've just booked a holiday club I've never used before as my usual options aren't available - it's cost me £216 for 3 days for 2 kids, far more than I normally have paid. This club only offered 8.30-5.30. I usually opt for 3 or 4pm finishes when I book holiday clubs and they'd normally have a bigger ratio of staff to children which would explain why they are usually cheaper. I will be supplying packed lunch and drinks as usual.
This could be a very expensive summer!

I am so relieved at the prospect of 3 clear days to work without my children there - something that hasn't happened since March! I also think one of my children, who wasn't in the years allowed back to school, will benefit so much from being in a group of children again.

I hope the Government are listening to the strain working parents and children who have not been in school are under.

Yes, the sports camp that my two are going to for a week is more expensive than usual, due to reduced numbers and higher staff ratio.

I'm just so relieved that they have a week of something though.

In our area the clubs that are open are:
School based, so I assume school would not have charged them rent had they been unable to run.
Small independent in their own club house, announced (and almost immediately full) at the last minute.
Sports announced last minute.