Wrap around care for those who don't work??

[Raisinsandweetabix]

Free breakfast clubs, afterschool clubs. Why would you need this if you are at home all day anyway? Another kick in the teeth to working parents. Obviously not including those in dire need of this care.

We have tried and failed to recruit on such contracts. Offering breakfast club + school day hours or breakfast club+school day+after school club. There was just no interest at all. I teach in a very pleasant village primary school that is extremely appealing as school jobs go.

Do you genuinely believe that all these inadequate parents were raised by good parents who did all the tooth brushing and other general care themselves and have just gone "oh, the state will parent for me so I won't bother!"

Or do you want to use your brain a little and realise the inadequate parents of today are usually part of a cycle of generational neglect and trauma, and these breakfast clubs etc are to hopefully put an end to it so the next generation know better and do better?

Ridiculous sending that out when people are at work
I do hope you mentioned this to the school.

It's because I have savings over 16k (which is for a house deposit).

At least I think that's the case but if I'm wrong I'll be happy to find out!

Poster has made a good point, MN is a discussion with different opinions.

Is it really that those parents who use breakfast clubs are ‘usually’ part of a cycle of generational neglect and trauma
Usually means in the majority
of those I’m aware of and from reading here etc they’re using it because they don’t have to do breakfast and it’s free. Before that they did breakfast,
As an alternative educating current children and spotting home neglect and putting the money into supporting those dealing with home neglect would be money well spent.
As a pp said, paying for clubs and breakfast so people can enjoy their tea in peace is ridiculous. Especially when we are on our knees financially.

I agree with other posters that At some point we / the Govn need to find a workable solution to solve issues of neglect…but doing it all for the parents isn’t a solution

Woah! The people you're talking about in your comments are very much in the minority and a lot of what you said comes across very ignorant. I have 2 DC, partner is quite heavily disabled and I care full time for a relative with severe learning disabilities. I also work 2 short evening shifts a week. Sometimes I can't be available for the school run which I single handedly do because I am needed elsewhere to take either of the adults to appointments etc. I use wrap around care for this. I get benefits. I work bloomin' hard for that money. I even spend it on wine when I want to. Everyone deserves a bit of downtime. I know of many families in our school receiving benefits and needing wrap around care at times for many different reasons. God forbid anyone should make sure their child is being cared for in a safe place. There will always be someone who abuses the system, that doesn't mean everyone in that scenario should be punished for it and not benefit from it.

Doesn't surprise me. There are already a lot of unfilled TA roles in schools. It seems unlikely that adding an hour or two in the mornings for a few of them is going to solve that problem.

It is possible to be in receipt of free school meals and also be working ft.

To be ‘a few’ is more than 2 (a couple) less than 4, and less than ‘several’ which I always think of as 5 - 7 which is less than a dozen. I’m sure I learnt that at school back in the day.

I also think idea of free wrap around childcare will have loads of benefits to lots of children, whether their parents work or not, and no matter how many hours, so I’d be pleased if this can be pulled off by schools because obviously there are funding implications.

I do work full time, not sure I’d bother with breakfast club if I didn’t work because I’d want my kid to have porridge etc for breakfast rather than cheap cereal.
But afterschool club could be great, lots of enriching activities, keeping kids active and moving, especially in the winter, knowing they were warm, safe, having fun & giving them experiences that possibly I couldn’t afford if I didn’t work, I’d be very happy for my child to get those opportunities.
And even though I do work, I don’t begrudge any kids having better childhoods if it’s possible. I’m nice like that.

Some parents don't work because they are unwell or disabled. They may need the respite.

Agree, however this thread is about breakfast clubs and after school clubs not holidays clubs ( although others have brought up the subject )

Even the most conscientious people can have complicated lives

Yes. This. I've been single for many years with an abusive ex, multiple jobs, a chronically ill and disabled child and am also an only child with a dementia-ridden mother. I don't broadcast my troubles - it's just life after all - and you wouldn't know there was 'background' just by seeing my back in the playground.. Sometimes I don't remember to send in a charity donation, forget annown clothes day, or my son gets a haircut later than he should.....and there are those who tut, look down their nose or pass a loud comment when I'm within earshot.

Try walking a mile in someone else's shoes. Or, preferably, just keep your mouth shut.

@StandingSideBySide

Agree, however this thread is about breakfast clubs and after school clubs not holidays clubs ( although others have brought up the subject )

Breakfast and after school club can be respite. Not everyone has access to holiday clubs either, especially if they're disabled

we are talking about kids at school here.
So the respite is whilst they are at school isn’t it.?

Holiday clubs are another matter.

We really cannot judge other people's lives from the outside. That is why children are getting free meals including breakfast and after school. Quite right too. I am more than happy for my little bit of tax (I'm a pensioenr so no longer pay very much), to contribute to that.

I do not get why anyone is annoyed about it. How does it impact their life? Not everyone will take up the offer anyway, it's not enforceable, just available. It t wasn't around when mine was at school and I worked but, had it been, I wouldn't have even noticed who had it and who didn't. Not my business.

@StandingSideBySide and breakfast and after school club can be an extension of that respite. Do they get respite whilst their child is at school? Maybe, maybe not. Lots of families have more than one send child, one may not be at school, they may require different pick up, drop off times and that's the only way everyone can be at school on time. I spend a significant chunk of time in meetings and doing paperwork and looking another send young person so no school time isn't always respite.

But an unwell or disabled parent might struggle getting up to prepare breakfast or drive the kids to school and may need a rest after school?

if the child is a young carer then breakfast club/ afterschool club might be respite for them!

@WinterBones yes

The poster I referenced was talking about the parent being unwell or disabled and needing respite. Not other situations

Apreciate your comment re different situations do occur. Aware of school time differences as I had to hang around for 40minutes in between picking up the youngest two and my eldest at the same school.

The reality is loads of people regard "school hours" as a sort of holy grail that must be respected, its a massive barrier to a lot of people that prevents them seeking full time, better paid work.

By made wraparound free/the norm, over time, its pretty obvious they are trying to align the hours they want people to work with the time "school" runs.

Its not about providing "cultural capital"!

Meanwhile in reality most wraparound clubs are quite crap, the ones in my leafy area struggle for staff so have high turnover etc and there's nowhere near enough capacity - often only 30 places for a school with over 200 kids.

But afterschool club could be great, lots of enriching activities, keeping kids active and moving, especially in the winter, knowing they were warm, safe, having fun & giving them experiences that possibly I couldn’t afford if I didn’t work, I’d be very happy for my child to get those opportunities.

Have you been in a typical afterschool club? They are not like this. "Enriching activities? As if. At best they do a bit of seasonally themed crafts. Lots have access to tv & computers and use them. Food provision is typically poor and they have a low number of adults to kids. They are under constant pressure financially because good childcare costs a lot. It is a huge struggle to staff wraparound because its only a few hours a week at a time few want to work. The staff are often anyone with a pulse & a DBS check. Good ones will try and get kids to do homework or reading while they are there. Actual good quality activities after school like sport, drama or music can cost easily double what wraparound does.

It is possible to be in receipt of free school meals and also be working ft.

What, because once you are on fsm you get it for a few years even after your finances improve?

Its really clear from this thread that a lot of people have an utterly fantastic , idealised view of what wraparound care is actually like. Referring to good hot meals, decent role models, enriching activities etc

The staff at ours are grumpy poorly paid ladies with low "cultural capital" themselves. They offer a "snack", there's no decent food! They have to walk the kids half a mile to another site in all weather as the club isn't run on school site. The kids run riot, they don't have great resources. The children are tired. The main thing the kids like is playing with their friends.

Compared to the middle class kids being taken home by grandma or a part time working parent, having an hours downtime before being taken for flute lesson or scouts, or going to a nice childminders where they get a home cooked meal as part of a family, after school clubs are not ideal.

I'd far prefer the government to incentivise more people to become childminders.

It is actually very difficult to get away with not working on benefits. I imagine she will be hounded soon unless she has disabilities etc.

My son has his teeth brushed at nursery but I still do it as well!