What will happen in the summer holidays?

[womanvsfood]

I'm starting to stress about what's going to happen in the summer holidays re childcare.

I'm NHS and although can technically work from home, it's impossible to do it while the children are around. Also wfh is not really encouraged and there's definitely an expectation that our team are in the office.

Normally in the summer holidays we use a combination of A/L, holiday clubs and grandparents. I'm not aware of any holiday club provision that's going to be available and all grandparents are in the shielded or vulnerable categories so even if restrictions ease to allow this we would not be able to take advantage of it. We don't have enough annual leave between us to cover the seven weeks, even if we take none at the same time (the thought of which depresses me deeply), plus my work will take a dim view of me being off for large blocks of time anyway.

Does anyone know anything I don't re holiday club provision, or have any bright ideas about what they're going to do? It really feels like this is a nightmare waiting to happen for key worker organisations and although I've been trying to warn the powers that be at work, nobody seems to be listening.

" Who will organise these clubs if not school leaders? "

The companies who organise then every year.

They've not gone bust (yet) and I git an email last week from one I used years ago which is scoping demand for this summer.

Yes, you're not alone and it's a nightmare. We're the same position, DH works for the NHS as a clinician, and there is no way he can work and care for our son at the same time.

We've been lumping along with a mix of annual leave and paid parental leave but this will be run out by the summer. We will then have to take some additional unpaid time if we need to.

We don't have family nearby so usually manage with a combination of annual leave and maybe 6 days in holiday club. We've used up more annual leave than normal this year so far, so have a bigger gap to fill.

Schools are often hired out for other things and many holiday camps are based in schools.

The caretakers and business managers continue to work through the holidays on a different contract as that's usually when a lot of the maintenance is done, so that's how it works. Various office staff can also have different contracts where they do a certain number of days over the holidays too.

Who will organise these clubs if not school leaders?

Whoever normally runs and organises them.

We don't run any summer clubs in our school. None are run in the building and none are run by our staff. They are all external holiday club provision, provided by external agencies. They're nothing to do with school at all.

Ours local tend to be private organisations - sports, drama, arts, private nurseries, childminding groups, etc.

Our school 'after school' club up isn't running. Although it used our hall it is an external private agency and they haven't returned yet. They'd not be able to use our hall at the moment, though I know in the summer they use a different building anyway, away from school.

We can't offer breakfast club - run by staff in school - as we can't mix the bubbles, so it isn't possible. We are looking into being able to keep it open for KW children but that will rely on that bubble's staff volunteering to do so, and means the reception children would need to make a choice - back in reception bubbles with no breakfast club or remain in the KW bubble. That's not yet be decided though.

I have teenage/student children who are moping around with little to do and no money and very much hoping they might manage to pick up some babysitting/nanny work over the summer. If you have friends with teenagers you would trust, I'd ask them.

My point about "who will organise them" was linked to the comments about free childcare in schools over the summer. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

I've had an email from Camp Beaumont to say that they're planning to be open.

There will also be loads of teenagers/uni students who can't go away and probably can't get their usual temp hospitality jobs so could that be an option?