Any RAF folk about? Quick question about promotion courses and expenses incurred by them

[likearatonapotato]

This is honestly keeping me up tonight

We just moved to our new posting last week, I start my new job a week Monday, and DH has just been put on five weeks worth of promotion courses, meaning he can't fulfil his commitment of picking DS up from nursery. This adds, an extra £20 a day to our childcare fees, which are already £950 and we flat out can't afford to pay it. I'm already having to ask them that I pay the first months fees gradually over the course of several months, because after maternity leave and three moves in two years, we don't have savings as we haven't had the chance to build them up. I can afford the odd day of him being there late, but not over a month in one hit! We don't know anyone here yet, not well enough to mind DS for an hour and a half while I come home from work. Family can't help, and no one to borrow money from (not that we can pay it back anyway)

Credit isn't an option, due to a recent house purchase we don't have any spare cash between us to pay back anything extra we could borrow. We plan to rent the house out, but it's obviously going to take time, and nursery want the money now, which is fair enough. I'm lying awake, wondering if DH can claim this as an expense.

Work can't let me take early finishes, as a one off yes, but not every day. I'm honestly up in tears. It's looking like I can't start work because we can't afford for me to go back because of him being on bloody courses without enough notice. I've worked so hard to get to this point, and now I'm going to potentially lose everything it's a niche area, where people do talk, and if I stuff it up during my probation period I'm absolutely stuffed long term.

Sorry this is so waffly, as I'm sure you can tell I'm really stressed out about this. Is this potentially something expense worthy? I figure they pay for costs incurred with mileage, accommodation, etc. So maybe there's hope for extra childcare?

I'm a civilian who works in a MoD establishment with lots of military people. I've never heard of childcare being paid as part of the expense but I would suggest the best thing to do is to contact his unit and explain the issue. They may well have a bit in the policy that states expensive can be claimed for childcare (I've seen it covered before for other reasons)

I wouldn't be optimistic, however there are options I think.

The HIVE is probably your best bet.

Also I think there's an option where your DH may be able to get an advance on next month's wages as a loan. I'm not sure though.

I've never seen anything in the JSPs about childcare, I heard rumours about the navy having emergency care (no idea if true!) I'm not sure what kind of roll he is in but I've always had to pay for childcare like he isn't there even when he is because I just don't know when he'll be gone, we pay for after school club on fridays even though he's there 9 times out of 10 because I just can't know when he will be on a course, ex etc. I'd contact welfare or maybe ssafa.