To ask how you do nursery holiday childcare

[Peppapigforlife]

Sorry if this has come up many times before, I'm just trying to figure it out for myself.

So if you get 30 hours free childcare, it's only for the term time weeks and you have to be working 16 hours a week for it.
My DD will be entitled to it from September and I'll be looking for part time work before then.
But I've just realised I won't be able to earn in the holidays. If I can't earn in the holidays does that mean I won't be entitled to the 30 hours a week, as on the gov website it states that you have to earn 16 times minimum wage per week. The childcare around here all closes in the holidays.

Just wondering what people do and trying to figure out what best to do?

Do you mean you are going to speak to the job centre and they will be understanding and be able to find you an 18 hour a week term time only job that you can walk or bus to!?

A ten pound a day type thing won't qualify youfor 30 hours free though. You need to earn 16 hours NMW minimum.

So you would only be eligible for 15 hours term time anyway

No I mean I will be doing the £10 a day type things but more like £30 a day's worth. I've got a few skills I can use from home online.

You are still unlikely to qualify for the extra childcare, and if you don't meet the criteria then it won't be valid and you will have to pull out.

Given as thus one year it probably makes sense to find a 15 hours term time nursery and then work out a proper job and childcare plan for when child starts school in the following September.

She starts school in just over a year and the school is next door, outstanding Ofsted and has wrap around care for just a few quid per hour.

@Dishwashersaurous I would only have to drop out of 3 hours a week if I don't find work. She already gets 15 hours funded.

Does your DH/partner drive? Does he work in a town/ city? You could look at nurseries near his work and he could do the drop offs and pick ups. Have you looked at a list of local child minders? Just because the one you are aware of is term time only they are unlikely to be the only ones in a large village (I'm in a large village and there are at least two childminder in my street).

But yosaid that you were looking for 30 hours funded provision? And nurseries have a certain number of places and will claim for the full 30 hours?

What do you want from this thread?

They don't have to claim for the full thirty hours. For example my DD gets the 15 hours funded but the childminders have to submit how many hours she attends (10.5) and they get paid for those hours.

I'm asking how people pay for their childcare in the holidays on minimum wage.

Find a job first (presumably in the city) and then see if there are any nurseries next to your place of work.

By having a full time nursery and claiming 22 hours a week each week. And use uc, if eligible, for 85% of anything on top.

That's how you pay for holiday childcare. It was in the very first response.

İ don't know where he works. I'm still waiting to meet him.

I'm not wanting to send her to a new single person childminder because a. She is settled and starts school in a year and has made bonds with the children she will be going up with and b. I don't trust someone looking after my child without a second adult there to hold them accountable.

I just wanted to find out what people do in the holidays and get clarification on whether you have to work in the holidays to get the 30 term time hours, because I had wrongly just assumed for a while that you only had to work when you had the free childcare.

I think I've gained that clarification that you have to work all year round, back to the drawing board, thanks all.

Alas, I don't fit into that category, so I'm bowing out now and will begin my work plans in a year instead, when she starts school.

What about your daughters father? He should be responsible for half the holidays.

I agree. Could you tell him that for me?

Yes, you can, as long as it is ofsted registered.

Do you not live together?

If you live in a remote village and don’t drive, I would move asap.

Our nursery doesn't stretch funding, so we pay more in the holidays , we still go to work

I think your view on childminders is odd. Why wouldn't a registered childminder be capable of looking after your child on her own without another adult there? I would try and find a childminder even if it is next village over. Alternatively as Pp has said, find a job first and find a nearby nursery. Lots of people have to do this.

Why not train to become a childminder yourself? If you did it all year round you'd be inundated it sounds like...

Okay brilliant, thank you. I'll ask them if they are.

OP most people who work and use the 30hrs stretch it all year, i don't know anyone who does term time only.

Then when thry are at school you pay for holiday clubs and use annual leave

I think to be honest if you're a single parent and can't drive you might have to move so you can get a job that pays above minimum wage and access to more suitable childcare for your needs. Do you live on your own at the moment? How feasible is it for you to move?

Why did you move there? Not in a nasty way, genuinely wondering how you ended up living somewhere so unsuited to your needs.

I love it here, there are ample opportunities in the nearest town which is accessible by train and bus. İt's only the nursery situation which is odd in both my village and the town (long waiting lists etc and needing to plan changes in work hours months in advance ). İn a year, plus a few months it will be easier to work, as her school will have lots of wrap around care and I only really need to work part time anyway to make extra spending money. I've mostly worked from home since I was at uni so it's what I'm used to doing and finding.