To expect my children not to be given cereal and jam on toast for tea at (£15) after school club?

[Mallowmarshmallow]

My children have come home this week saying the above was all that was on offer at the after school club they attend.

AIBU for suggesting to them that this is not an appropriate tea for children. 'A light tea' is apparently offered during the session.

Does anyone know of any government guidance for healthy eating in childcare settings? I can only find early years guidance in my searches.

For full information, the after school club is local to, but not run by, the school the children attend. It is the only local option available which works with their school.

You need to speak to/email the club itself and ask them for the reason for a change in the type of food provided and feedback your view.

There may be a reason like finances, facilities, covid restrictions or it may be that they're giving this a go, and won't know how it's going down unless parents and carers let them know.

What types of cereal is it? I wouldn't mind a bowl of shreddies, corn flakes or wheatabix, but would baulk at sugar coated ones.

Do they go every day? That makes a difference. My ds only went to breakfast club once a week and I didn't mind him having honey on rice krispies then, but wouldn't have been thrilled with every day.

It's all gone a bit Four Yorkshiremen now. Any minute someone will say they pay £1.50 for 3 hours with unlimited Capri Sun and foie gras included.

Surley those paying so little must realise the bargain you're getting

Yes, we know ours is cheaper than the others around here (we can't use as they are school specific), but even the others aren't what the OP is paying. £15 is £2 or £3 above the norm here, and we aren't a cheap area.

And for those saying I don't value childcare, I do. I think it is an incredibly important job, and if I'm asking for 1:1 or 1:2 childcare (such as babysitters in my home) then I would expect to pay much more. Nursery for my child is much more, and so it should be. But 2 staff to 40 kids (all HLTA trained so legal) should not be getting £200 per hour before expenses. I think £112 per hour that is the average at our school is perfectly reasonable when they aren't paying for premises or providing a hot/ full meal (which I don't expect). Even is the staff are paid £25 per hour, that's still £62 per hour for food and other expenses. The school building would be open regardless.

beans on toast, soups, jacket potatoes, stews etc... Woah! That's a full meal!

A light tea is often based on sweet stuff, so a breakfast cereal would fit, or milk and a bun, sandwich. It's like part of an afternoon tea!

We are lucky, it is a really lovely club too. My dc want to go even when I'm not at work. We do live in a lower cost part of the country which makes a difference to nursery, wrap around school care etc.

My dc's after school club is £8 until £5.45.
They get a choice of wraps, soup, cheese toasties or beans in toast as well as fruit and yoghurt usually.
Due to covid though they are asking for packed lunches to be taken in.

Check the wording and the menu plan.

If a snack YABU, if a light tea I would expect tuna pasta, beans on toast, jacket potato etc. Hell, even sandwich and crisps would be better! Cereal and toast for £15 is appalling.

Are you sure that's not just what your children picked?

@dotdashdashdash how much are the poor 2 members of staff getting to look after 40 children and prepare snacks for them? How much do you deem they should get for such hard work?

People expecting a proper dinner such as pasta etc for £15 with 2.5 hour childcare?

If a snack YABU, if a light tea I would expect tuna pasta, beans on toast, jacket potato etc. Hell, even sandwich and crisps would be better! Cereal and toast for £15 is appalling.

But most of those things you've listed really wouldn't be considered by the majority of people a light tea. These children will all be going home afterwards to eat another meal I doubt most adults would want much more to eat after pasta or a jacket potato.

£15 for all week?!? Get over yourself or pay more...

I know you claim you aren't making out the £15 pays just for the food. But by stating the price and what food they get you're kind of implying that.

Tbh 15 is cheap for 2.5 hours childcare aech so I think the fact they are given in expensive food isn't really an issue. I wouldn't be expecting their full main meal and I'm not sure there's much difference between a light meal and a snack.

Cereal and toast for £15 is appalling. Even with the 2.5 hours of 'free' child care?

@CuriousaboutSamphire

Cereal and toast for £15 is appalling. Even with the 2.5 hours of 'free' child care?

sure

they should also offer a free laundry service, free haircut, foreign and music lesson and basically offer some value for those £15...Honestly!

@CuriousaboutSamphire

Cereal and toast for £15 is appalling. Even with the 2.5 hours of 'free' child care?

Good God I'd read it as £15 for the light tea!

£15 all in OP?! YABU!

Good God I'd read it as £15 for the light tea!

£15 all in OP?! YABU!

Yes the price is £15 for 2.5 hours of childcare plus a light tea, not £15 just for the tea with the childcare cost on top.

@Wowwe I think she expected a light tea if that is what they state is provided. Nobody is demeaning costs but if they’re only providing a snack then they should say it’s a snack 🤷‍♀️

Mine sometimes get what they refer to as raw bagels. This is bagels that haven't been toasted. That was one of the most outrageous things I have ever heard, who eats untoasted bagels!?

@Pleasedontputthatthere

Mine sometimes get what they refer to as raw bagels. This is bagels that haven't been toasted. That was one of the most outrageous things I have ever heard, who eats untoasted bagels!?

It does sound grim, but isn't it a thing with smoked salmon and cream cheese?

@dotdashdashdash

Surley those paying so little must realise the bargain you're getting

Yes, we know ours is cheaper than the others around here (we can't use as they are school specific), but even the others aren't what the OP is paying. £15 is £2 or £3 above the norm here, and we aren't a cheap area.

And for those saying I don't value childcare, I do. I think it is an incredibly important job, and if I'm asking for 1:1 or 1:2 childcare (such as babysitters in my home) then I would expect to pay much more. Nursery for my child is much more, and so it should be. But 2 staff to 40 kids (all HLTA trained so legal) should not be getting £200 per hour before expenses. I think £112 per hour that is the average at our school is perfectly reasonable when they aren't paying for premises or providing a hot/ full meal (which I don't expect). Even is the staff are paid £25 per hour, that's still £62 per hour for food and other expenses. The school building would be open regardless.

Up here that wouldn't be legally allowed to operate - 40 kids would need 4 staff absolute minimum but realistically you would need a 5th at least for sick/holiday cover. And one of them is a manager who either has or is working towards a degree level qualification.

The on site clubs tend to be cheaper as most don't pay rent or only peppercorn, the off site need to factor that in too and around here it's a big expense. That'll be very area specific.

£22k per year starting salary, annual increment up to £27k (increased each cost of living) 35 hours per week and 6 weeks paid holiday. Actual salary dependant on experience, £22 being the min (so between £12 and £15 per hour). They don't prepare the snacks, the kitchen staff do that (and serve and clean up). The cleaning staff also tidy up/ put away etc. We have very low staff turnover. Our last recruit was a maternity cover, the substantive post holder is only returning part time so we've recently advertised. Based on other local wrap around providers we pay much more because we value our staff. Most nursery/ wrap around staff are on minimum wage.

@Spinningaround21

As a former nursery nurse this shows how little people want to pay for childcare when £5 is considered extortion for one hour. I left 17 years ago and our after school club was £10 then! I pay a hairdresser £30 for a quick haircut and blow that maximum takes 45 minutes... yet £5 is too much to look after a child from school til pick up, feed them something even a snack and provide supervision ( from qualified/ trained/dbs cleared staff) and activities too. Wow.

The whole nursery and after school had a ‘tea’ which was basically cheese spread on toast crumpet etc with some fruit. No hot meals in the evening just lunch time.

There is so much these days to consider with food and allergies, preparation and now covid regulations etc it’s not just so easy to provide a better option.

Op speak to the staff and see why it’s changed there may be good reason!

But your hairdresser is 1 to 1 and afterschool club is 1 to 10/15. £6 an hour is pretty much what you pay for a day nursery with ratio of 1 to 4 or 8 depending on age, or for an hour of professional tuition of drama/ sport etc for an older child. People are saying it’s expensive because after school clubs operate on supervision only for large ratios, often with peanuts to pay in hire charge. If they were doing homework or activities or it’s a childminder with fewer children, or a private day nursery etc it’s a different situation. I agree ‘light tea’ is a misdescription, what they are providing is a snack. Personally I’d be happy with toast and jam as a snack. At the end of the day though as long as they are looking after the kids I’d just send something in with them. Your other option is to find alternative provision, which will probably be more expensive

@dotdashdashdash

Surley those paying so little must realise the bargain you're getting

Yes, we know ours is cheaper than the others around here (we can't use as they are school specific), but even the others aren't what the OP is paying. £15 is £2 or £3 above the norm here, and we aren't a cheap area.

And for those saying I don't value childcare, I do. I think it is an incredibly important job, and if I'm asking for 1:1 or 1:2 childcare (such as babysitters in my home) then I would expect to pay much more. Nursery for my child is much more, and so it should be. But 2 staff to 40 kids (all HLTA trained so legal) should not be getting £200 per hour before expenses. I think £112 per hour that is the average at our school is perfectly reasonable when they aren't paying for premises or providing a hot/ full meal (which I don't expect). Even is the staff are paid £25 per hour, that's still £62 per hour for food and other expenses. The school building would be open regardless.

Operating with two staff to that number of kids is where corners are being cut.

Legal and best practise are not remotely the same thing.

It’s always amazing how much people grudge paying for childcare.

@MrsArchchancellorRidcully

My school charges a fiver and provides mini wrap pizzas, sandwiches, hot dogs, soup etc. £15 is extortion!!!

That will be massively subsided.

We charge less than the OP’s provider, but that’s purely because of the subsidies and funding we get and all the parents know that if we didn’t get them the costs would be considerably higher.

£15 for three hours childcare plus food is not extortionate.

Operating with two staff to that number of kids is where corners are being cut.

But the other wrap around providers near us only operate a marginally higher ratio and that's because their staff have minimal qualifications and are paid minimum wage- rather than bringing in appropriately qualified people and paying them decently.