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.

@RickJames

Just like getting any sitter - references, get them to come for a trial etc. My dd is sitting for 3 families currently, sometimes a parent is there working from home, sometimes she's alone - she homeschools, teaches piano, takes them to the park (2 have dogs so they get walked) gets them to do pe (she's a qualified school sport coach) etc. One family has 3 kids the others 2. She's getting £7.50 an hour, probably not enough but she's a student so anything is good

For those claiming young people never have dbs certificates - they do if they help out at scouts, sports, choir etc with under 18's. You can also pay for one. There's millions of 16-22 year olds without work currently, some will be suitable. Might not be as good, cheap or convenient as a holiday club but people here are trying to help you with possible solutions as there isn't a club. The one that uses my premises cancelled in May because it's then they needed to start planning and hiring, even if Boris said there were subsidies today no way can it be up and running for when school gets out on Friday here.

@SmileyClare

You hire as a nanny so covered by household insurance. As they won't meet the threshold for tax in the year that's not an issue and in their case none of their clients reaches ni threshold either (I have looked into both). No ofsted is required for nannies. DBS can be checked through various online companies but mine already have them from voluntary work, both are first aid qualified, no paediatric but they aren't caring for babies so less of an issue.

The holiday club I usually use isn’t running. Have been looking frantically for replacements but not found anything yet.

Found out yesterday that our school hub is running sports camps - 3 afternoons a week for 4 weeks. Have hopefully managed to get in their fast enough (no charge and first come first served) but awaiting confirmation. Other than that it’ll be a hodgepodge if grandparents (though that is uncertain as my DF starts chemo on Monday), too much screen time while we WFH and bits of leave. Hoping beyond hope that more runs that I can get them booked into, the last minute nature is stressing me out though!

The thing is, the usual things aren't running. Op will not be alone. People will have to either:

• take unpaid leave
• take parental leave
• use things they wouldnt usually use (family, friends, students as babysitters)
• find/beg/borrow the money for what is available - which wont be the subsidised very cheap playschemes the OP referred to in her post (no such schemes at anything close to those prices near me so you were lucky they ever existed).

Yes it will be crap. Employers will not have any choice but to be more flexible than usual as everyone is in the same boat.

What you cant expect is the government to magic up childcare where there is none.

Employers will not have any choice but to be more flexible than usual as everyone is in the same boat.

Sadly, employers will have plenty of choice as mass redundancies are coming.

Women will bear the brunt of the financial impact of this and that will rapidly trickle down to the children.

I am in London but our usual holiday club had limited intake to 20 children this summer (they usually cater for 60) and there already weren't places when I applied, only 2 hours after I received an email from them. One other open option is ~£300/ week, and I need two places for six weeks, having already used all my annual leave, with payment due upfront. I don't have cash on hand and I don't fancy getting deeper into debt for this reason.
I resigned. I have a good professional job and salary but I am totally exhausted and just see no reason to continue like this. The school sent an email about how they are making every effort to reopen in September, but no guarantees- which really wasn't very encouraging. Just don't see a reason to continue.

Women will bear the brunt of the financial impact of this and that will rapidly trickle down to the children.

Yup. The consequences of this are dire for women and their children. And all too predictable.

I don’t think hiring a random ‘furloughed worker’ who isn’t DBS checked really works, do you?

There are plenty of furloughed workers who are DBS checked. How about the employees of the place your children usually go? If you have a local theatre, contact them. Most of them will have learning and participation staff whose job it is to work with children, who are currently furloughed and DBS checked.

If I were in this situation (which I know is so so difficult and almost impossible) I would find another family in the same situation, split the cost, and hire one of these professionals to watch both your kids together.

I don't think anyone meant pick a random furloughed worker you know nothing about. There are plenty of people who normally work in childcare or similar settings or who volunteer with children or university students studying for qualifications in the care profession. A few years back we used the adult child of a friend of DH's for childcare.

Clearly no one is about to advertise on facebook for an au-pair and just pick the first person who applies without any sort of background check/references etc.

The three teens I have used as babysitters - one was at college doing a nursery course so was DBS checked and had first aid training, one was working in a nursery so also DBS/first aid, and the other was the daughter of a childminder so DBS checked. All experienced with children and I took references. All very capable of looking after school age children.

I can't find where you say you're from but try the FunFest website.

Use your wages to get childcare or forfeit your wages and look.after them yourself. You had them.

We have low death rates for this time of year. What would you usually do over the summer? The NHS must start to run on normal lines surely?

Considering this is a parenting forum (no mum left behind and all that), you have had some really unhelpful replies OP. I hope you get something sorted, l am on furlough til October so your post has prompted me to call up my friends who are working, see if l can help them out at all over the holidays. Hope you get something sorted soon. Absolute nightmare

@MyWitzEnd

Use your wages to get childcare or forfeit your wages and look.after them yourself. You had them.

What an absolutely twattish comment

@pollymere

We have low death rates for this time of year. What would you usually do over the summer? The NHS must start to run on normal lines surely?

Did you even read the opening post? It states what she normally does an that it's not available this year.

I rarely post I usually just like to read the threads but this one has really pissed me off with the just take annual or unpaid leave / get a babysitter in. Not all families can do this.

I have three primary age children, am a single parent and a key worker, luckily up until now the school has been open except for the usual closures at half term etc I would normally have used the holiday club for those but had to use my annual leave instead.
As the wrap around care has also been suspended I have had to temporarily reduce my hours.
The school, is closing in two weeks for the summer, the holiday club is not running and I have now run out of annual leave.
If I had to take six weeks unpaid leave I would not be able to cover my mortgage, bills or pay for food and I have no savings.

My eldest is 9 and has ASD and ADHD she cannot have anyone in the house that is not family or we have melt downs so babysitters etc are out.
The only relative I have that can cope with my eldest is my mum who lives over an hour away and can only pick up a day or two a week at most.

Fortunately I have been offered holiday club places at a private school and although the hours are shorter than normal and is a 30 minute walk away (will have to walk as I do not have a car and eldest cannot do the bus) this means I can still get to work for most of my hours (which cannot be done at home) over the summer.

I only found out this week I had a place and up until then the stress of what to do was literally making my hair fall out.

For those of you who do not have this worry I am genuinely pleased for you but be kind to the rest of us who have been having sleepless nights worrying about finances and being able to keep our jobs especially when a few weeks ago key workers we were essential keeping the country running, not so much anymore I guess!

Same as always. Holiday clubs/childminders are back open.

Ask the other parents. You will find there will be others in the same situation who can help each other out.

@LovelyIssues

Same as always. Holiday clubs/childminders are back open.

Some are open, often only for the kids enrolled in that school and with lower levels of provision due to max bubble size. There aren't enough spaces by far.

To quote an apt disaster movie: "mother, don't you understand, the water is cold and there aren't enough boats, half the people on this ship are going to die." Financially speaking.

I understand your dilemma. I know it’s hard and the options are limited. I too have no magic relatives to help out. I’m human though and my sympathy is limited when my family have been on one wage for 14 weeks and counting because there has been no school and no childcare so we can’t both work. Welcome to the world of parents whose kids have been excluded from school based on age and parental occupation. It’s not nice. Parental leave and sharing any paid leave are your best options. Or, if your child is 4, look to nurseries as many parents take their kids out for summer in the year they are due to go to school.

This is going to be a massive problem but a section of the population are desperate to sweep it under the carpet. That’s why you get comments like this:-

‘What do you normally "do" with your children in the holidays? That is what you will do this time too.‘

Unfortunately they’ve not accounted for all the older kids who without supervision, stuff to do and with the general misery that is life at the moment are going to go absolutely feral. Dismissive posters are being naive if they think it won’t be a problem for them or hit them in the pocket.

Sympathies OP. I’m in the same boat, also incredibly stressed.

I don't get why people are saying what do you normally do. My son normally goes for 2 weeks to his Nanas. But she has been, shielding, I haven't seen an advice, to say that my son being 13 can go stay with her, my partner is a key worker too, so my son could pick up the virus from his dad, then spread to his nana. So would she want to take the risk. At the moment we are OK, as I am still on furlough. But if we open, this would mean my son spending 8 plus hours a day on his computer. More needs to be made clear, for everyone as to where kids can and cannot go during the holidays

I have my head in the sand about this. School is closing early, this is the last full week, then there will be 7.5 weeks of summer holidays. Usual holiday club isn’t running. Only one that is locally has a massive waiting list already, and is £350pw, which I can’t afford. Ex has agreed to cover 11 days during those 7.5weeks. Granny would love to help but is elderly and can only do so much. I work full time, remotely at present, and over the summer holidays will have to do what I did before DD went back (year 1 thank goodness), I.e. park her in front of the TV as much as possible while I work, work 7 days a week, and catch up with work in the evenings after DD has gone to sleep. Unpaid leave isn’t an option if I want to pay the mortgage. It is hard enough now she’s at school for 6 hours a day, I have been in tears thinking about what the next two months are going to be like. They are going to be rotten for her as well.