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.

at my school breakfast club (8am start) is one you pay for as is after school care (til 4:15pm) and we have a few days a week of afterschool club (limit of 2 per child so its fair on everyone) and those are free and things like sports or arts and even maths clubs. My DD does 2 a week (maths and football) and she loves it. I work weekends only so "dont need" them but its good for her.
The school does offer a free bowl of cereal from 8:30 for everyone who wants one though.

It does exist. Just some people know every trick in the book to avoid working.

I’m a working parent and won’t use the free breakfast club. He already goes to after school club and I would rather have him here with me in the morning than at school.
Having said that, I am incredibly lucky that I can do this and my job is flexible enough to allow it. I will probably ramp down after school clubs once he gets a bit older as well - if he prefers being at home.
My boy is also lucky that being at school isn’t safer for him than being at home. Many kids don’t get that kind of home life. It breaks my heart, tbh.

You think it’s wraparound clubs which create useless parents? What is protecting you from this affliction, then? How are you immune to their harms, if you use wraparound care? How have you avoided their dreadful habit of making you forget how to parent properly yourself?

There should be more support for working parents. Trying to work childcare and work is a nightmare. They should fund early morning nursery's for working parents.

Again. Who are we supposed to be bashing or championing here?

The hard working OP
The lazy entitled SIL
The feral children (still waiting hear how many dads on that one)
The nanny state
People in receipt of benefits (I assume the OP doesn’t include working tax credit as a state handout, just the feckless ones)
Society in general these days (please visualise my sweeping arm movement)

quite the comedienne aren't you! Very quick! Sadly not the case, busy making tea for my two kids who I sole parent through the week (dad works away) one child possibly both with ADHD. Oh yes and I work, attend all activities through the week, make sure their teeth are brushed etc. just stop trying to be so droll about this. It's wrong and it is linked in every way to the other issues- not taking responsibility . I am 1000% for children who need it getting every single bit of support and it's just sad that it has come to this.

So do you want to live on that? It's about opportunities and food for the child to try and equalise their chances.

Give over @Raisinsandweetabix the rest of us are juggling same/similar. As I said at the start, this is about you and your relationship with SIL. Everything else is fire and froth.

They’re free as they provide much needed food for those children whose cupboards may be bare, provide a warm space for longer for those children whose homes are cold and keep those children safe for a few hours longer when their guardians don’t protect them adequately

I say this as a parent who works full time, pays for holiday care and also pays for breakfast club as it provides routine/consistency for my DD. Even whilst paying for holiday care, I advocate for the council run holiday scheme to provide free childcare offering amazing experiences to children whose parents would otherwise not afford it and also give a much needed warm meal whilst they’re there.

I’m with you op, but that’s mainly because there are limited spaces at our wrap around and parents who receive it free are prioritised. Some days of the week all of the spaces have already been allocated to parents who don’t work and working parents don’t get a look in!

We have to juggle work to fit around the school day with one of us starting early and the other starting late to manage drop off/pick up. And yes, I was on the waiting list in July ready for September….

Sorry to hear that- I guess the reason will be the kids who need it most. Which I agree with. But- it's making working parents lives even harder

I don’t work (in the traditional sense), but I do use the breakfast and afternoon school clubs for my eldest. It means I can get my other high needs child who cannot attend more than set hours to his school on time. His school’s breakfast club has been free for a few years now, think the school was actively trying to encourage attendance by making it accessible to every student. After school costs me upwards of £100 (don’t worry @Raisinsandweetabix , UC don’t pay me extra for this), but again the school runs plenty of free clubs of various subjects during the week and the ‘poor teachers’ don’t seem to mind considering I’ve never seen a term go by without some sort of after school activity. Do you think school art or dance clubs should also only be accessed by the children of working parents, op?

I guess my main issue is- it needs to be on a case by case basis. I remember watching a documentary years ago about benefit fraud. They had private investigators parked outside of houses, sleuths online to check for suspicious behavior eg going on holidays abroad and spending tax payers cash on booze. I guess they just don't have the resources to do this anymore so it's a blanket approach. Very very concerning when our country is essentially bankrupt

Well... I think what you're saying OP is that your SIL (why is it always the SIL?) had 6 kids and will be using 'wraparound' care for some / all of them. Meanwhile, she is organising some sort of charity ball, but you think she should get a job, but winder if job centres still exist. Is this right?

Are you saying that the Government should make policy based on your SIL's behaviour and circumstances? Universal breakfast clubs will help your 'feckless' SIL so they should drop this manifesto pledge?

I suppose it would be more likely to be full.

It is the SIL! Where’s my prize

Yawn, now the OP has moved on to include people who may be committing benefit fraud.

If these resources were taken away, they wouldn’t suddenly become good parents.
It doesn’t work like that.

These measures are put in place to protect children as much as possible.

They do not create shit parents.
The parents are already shit.

Do not punish the children who already have poor lives, by taking away the very few services that help them.

I understand your frustration but your way of thinking is very wrong.

Where is her DH in all of this?

I think you’re missing the very key point that it’s beneficial to the kids!!! It’s not really for the parents - that’s a secondary benefit! Many children don’t have access to particular activities/toys/social elements at home. Not to mention any food or nutrition that could be offered. I’m guessing you are in a bit of a dark place if your knee jerk reaction is that others’ are getting resources that you feel you deserve more. Once again- when it comes to welfare, healthcare and childrens’ development, A Race to the Bottom helps no-one.

Where are these schools offering free after school clubs lol
We had free breakfast club but afterschool club cost £55 a month 3-6pm 5 days a week
Only working parents used it

I once worked on a school where every child was offered breakfast on arrival, at the start of the school day, in the classroom. It was a lovely way to start the day. There was such a difference in behaviour and concentration. It's not about parents and income. It's about ensuring all children start their school day on an equal footing without an empty stomach.

I work with a school that already provides a free breakfast and after school club. It's a lifeline to working families struggling to afford child care but is also used by quite a few families where one or both parents don't work. Some of these are parents with health problems or who are juggling caring for older relatives/other children with additional needs etc. Others are families where home life is chaotic and children don't always get breakfast or have somewhere relatively quiet to do homework/read a book etc. Regardless of who's fault this is, the children suffer as a result. Encouraging these families to send their children to school before/after school clubs is a way to provide these things for the child without damaging the relationship between the school and parents (which is beneficial for the child). The school reports that when children from chaotic homes (for whatever reason) are provided with breakfast, after school snacks, space to calm down before school, space to read etc they are much better behaved in class and make better progress. It also means the children are not hanging around the streets and vulnerable to other influences during that time (sadly in around this school County Lines gangs have been known to use primary school aged children). So it's not really about giving parents perks that they don't deserve, or letting them get away with poor parenting- it's about giving their children a better chance in life which benefits everyone in society.

It’s a bit sad Op that you can’t see how this would be so so beneficial to your SILs children - arguably they are the exact children who would benefit greatly and be protected by such wrap around care… put your own bitterness to the side. Surely you can see how much better your own children are regardless of wrap around care etc? They presumably have a lovely stable home life. It shows how insecure you feel that you are comparing apples and pears. No comparison between your children and hers’ by the sounds’ of it- thanks to your hard work and responsable parenting.