What childcare during holidays?!

[Mrssab1]

hoping for help/ advice.

when DS is eligible for 30 free hours, he will go to local pre school, which is attached to the primary that he will attend following.

I work and am looking forward to 30 free hours of child care, but what do you do during school holidays?

I currently have a minder once a week and rely on family for 2x week, however, they will be by that point looking after younger cousins, so unable to care for my LO.

how did you cope?

I changed to working term time. The school holidays were a nightmare for me trying to arrange childcare

We had 2 weeks holiday. My parents did 4 weeks - 2 at theirs, and 2 here.

We luckily all live by the sea so they could do holiday things with them.

Does the attached primary school offer wrap around care to the pre-school children? That would be a good option if they do.

Otherwise, I would look for a different pre-school /childminder that could cover your working hours. No point having to make your life harder than it needs to be.

I chose not to send my DC to a pre-school and used a private nursery instead as they remained open in the holidays. The 30 hours can be spread over the year which worked out at about 20 hours per week. The same nursery has a holiday club which I use for my primary age DC.

Send your child to a preschool that offers all year round

See if your childminder or another childminder will do holiday cover?

Use a different preschool?

Are there holiday camps that you’d be happy with that take his age? 3YO camps are not common but they do exist- there are 2 near me but 1 is half days and the other is still only 9-3 and doesn’t run in winter as it’s outdoors. Then once they’re 4 there’s actually a lot of choice, so could be ok if yours has an August birthday. But maybe not if you love rurally so definitely research it now so you’re not caught by surprise. Alternatively could the childminder do holiday cover? Maybe a day nursery would suit you better though, you can ask about spreading the funding.

My son's nursery was 48 weeks a year, so about 22 hours a week with the 30 hours, then we topped up. Could add a breakfast slot and/or a dinner slot to fit in with working hours too.

This is one of the reasons to use a private nursery. We have no extra help. Now it is holiday club.

We’ve stuck to private nursery for this exact reason. Around us, under there seems to be no provision for wrap around childcare for under 5s, ie until the summer after reception. We have no regular family help either so term time only was a none starter.

Holiday clubs.
Use an after school childminder and increase to full time during school holidays
Ask local CMs if they have a school holiday place (they may have term time only minders)

Ask your current childminder to take the funding they should be doing the same as preschool then see if she will stretch it over the holidays.
In the last few years I've had 5 children stay with me then go straight to reception with very positive feedback from teachers. 3 went to school nursery 2 pulled out as they went back wards because teachers were treating them like others removing coats, writing names...and they were copying ones who were not as advanced....reverted in holding scissors and pencils scribbling and an I can't attitude to things they could do before. Never had issues with friendships etc.

Before school, nursery school in the mornings and private nursery in the afternoons ( here paying the full day means they do pick up and drop off to/from nursery school) and then just the private nursery in the holidays.

Once at school, choose an after school club that has a decent holiday offering too.

Childminder for wraparound/holidays.
Some holiday clubs will take 3 year olds, particularly sports or activity clubs.
Annual leave, unpaid parental leave, family.

Doesn’t sound like this preschool is a great fit for your circs. We stuck with day nursery for this reason, then a patchwork of holiday clubs and annual leave in school holidays.