Childcare in the holidays

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I'm curious to see what other parents do for childcare in the school holidays and how this impacts on them financially.

Currently I work part time evenings around DH hours. SIL has kids for around an hour between me leaving and DH finishing so we currently have no childcare costs. I'm considering going back full time soon. DS2 is now 3 so is entitled to 30 free hours and will be going to school in 18 months time. I would likely need a childminder to help with afternoons after school as it is and pay for any shortfall in DS2's free hours. So there will have to pay childcare as it is.

But working out how much I would have to pay for childcare over the school holidays, it would cost me around £200 for a week when both boys are off. DH has days off in the week so I appreciate it's not as much as some have to pay! Over the course of the year, it would average out as about £200 a month (assuming DH and I didn't take any time off to cover childcare).

In our jobs school holidays are very busy and we wouldn't be able to guarantee we'd get that time off. SIL works during the day, as do my own parents and MIL is disabled and FIL is her carer. So basically we have no one who could help out in the week for free. Looking at the average costs, I don't actually think it would be financially viable me going back full time and paying for childcare (unless I get a huge pay rise!) until the kids are old enough to look after themselves.

Just wondering about what others have done/do in similar situations.

Many people have to pay for childcare from 8 months old or so you just pay it using the various schemes about from tax credits to voucher schemes and tax free childcare.

If you use a childminder you can use them for funding and stretch it to cover around 20 hours a week 51 weeks a year.

If your increased hours are going to up your earnings by more than around £300 a month your going to be bringing home more remember to that once your youngest hits full time school the costs will only be wrap around care and holidays.
Look at various settings and breakfast clubs to see how this works out.
Going short now may mean your in a better position once you children are in full time school so you have to weigh that cost too.
Can you realistically wait until your children are 12 or so to go back to work?

Following this with interest as I’m looking into supply teaching with the possibility of getting holiday work caring for children.

The £200 average a month cost is just the cost of covering holidays.

I would probably be looking at another couple of hundred a month to cover the shortfall in DS2's free hours and after school care for DS1.

If I went full time in my current job, I would get a £700 a month pay rise. Because it is shift work and my DH works weekends as well I'd need some to watch the boys 3 Saturdays a month and that is also time I would lose with them. Factoring in traveling costs and the time I would lose at home with the kids and to do household stuff, I just don't know if it's worth all the hassle for a couple of extra hundred quid a month. I could earn this on my current shift pattern and do an extra shift a week.

We pay £1000 per month for childcare, since my little one was tiny, we both went back full time.
We couldn't just afford one person to be at home, and couldn't leave him with family...
weve decided to take the hit for the next few years and be better later on (30 free hours, and any promotion ect)
I would say if you could afford it and you wont loose any work progression, then i would stay at home.

I have two children and work 30hours per week.

My hours are split up so that during term time it means I can drop off and pick up and it also reduces my costs with school holiday clubs as the 6 hour blocks are classed as half days. Plan is to up my hours (if possible) once the children are old enough to walk home. (They’re currently 11 & 7).

Is it possible to phase your return to work to gradually go full time?

Look into school holiday clubs in your area, we have a few and I use a mixture of those for the summer break and my sister offers to have them for a day here and there which really helps.

Usually clubs offer discounts for siblings & block bookings which brings the cost down too.

For school age kids ratios in holiday clubs are different so there is usually a few options round us there are some which are 30-40 a day and others which are £3 per hour (council play scheme) and you pay for the hours you need. You need to get googling and asking local fb groups for recommendations - they will be advertising soon for summer so you can work out which are good.

We use a childminder for younger one and can spread the 30 hours a week free over the full year (works out about 23 hours a week over 52 weeks I think) so we pay the same each month.

Hello there
I have started an out of school wrap around care for children in the Poole, Dorset area. For children age 3 to 12. I was finding it difficult to get childcare so the best thing for me to do was to start my own.

Can anyone suggest some good school holiday clubs for a reception age child in the Haslemere/godalming area???