Will single Mum, not working, get help with childcare costs if she has been ill?

[woahthere]

She is recently seperated from her husband and has a 2.5 year old. She has had fairly debilitating problems from spd that has left her at times barely able to walk up the stairs. She wants to get better and feels she would benefit from some therapies and in honesty i think she could do with a break from her little one for a few hours a day a few days a week. Will she get help with childcare costs? If so, how is it done?

Er no

I had spd with my last.

1. ask husband to pay for childcare
2. ask home start/sure start etc for volunteers or low cost creches - ask health visitor
3. ask hv/GP to refer to social services for some support if "disabled" by the condition
4. surely the exH wil be having the child(ren) anyway for some times/days?
5. if still has spd 2.5 years after the birth then must be long term chornic condition and she can apply for disability living allowance

Very unlikely she will get help with childcare costs.

Does she just have the one child? Doesn't husband/ex husband have child at all to give mum some time/ a break and to bond with his child?

Has she approached GP about long term problems from SPD? Asked for a referral to specialist?

I had thought of homestart as well cestlavielife. I think my friend had thought it would be good for child to go to a childminder or playgroup. I will suggest she asks her health visitor.
What kind of support would social services offer?
I think the ex may have the children on some evenings yes.
She has spd but also has another condition but Im ashamed to say I cant remember what its called. Im not sure if it would have her classed as disabled though. Beforte she had the child she had the condition but could work, bike, pilates etc. The spd made her hips very bad. She wears a support belt most of the time.

Does anyone have experience of receiving help when a single Mum if its not so they can go out and work?

whowhowhowho...she has 2 children. I do hope that the Father will help out, its early days at the moment so its not too clear.

Social services are v stretched. I think even disabled lp's struggle to get anything at all

Try hv, gp etc and if she can qualify for extra benefits, then she can use the money for a childminder maybe?

Local trusted teen?

this was my gut feeling. She seems to think she read somewhere that she can.

is up to her really to budget for and organize childcare - ask the H for maintenance payments; look into nurseries etc locally seh might be in an area where the 2.5 year old can get nursery hours? creche at local sports centre for babies?

but no one is going to pay for it for her really - tho she may be entitled to extra benefits

true, noone should expect it really, and i dont think she does, i just think she'd heard she might get something so hoped it was true for her!

I have been a lp for over 8 years now, and have never ever heard of anything.

Ask her health visitor to refer her to Childrens Centre/Sure Start. A friend of mine had severe depression and got some free childcare (not just a playgroup) at this for a couple of days in the week so she could sort out the house and go to therapy etc. I don't think they'll pay for a childminder but the childrens centres are free. I don't see why people shouldn't expect this, either? The government/social services have a duty of care to assist people with disabilities in performing their normal life activities, and for parents this includes support with childcare. This is actually the law, google 'social services responsibility parenting role' if you don't believe me!

She'll get it in a few months, from the term after DC turns 3 everyone can get 15 hours free, so well worth getting her DC's name down for somewhere asap. See www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Preschooldevelopmentandlearning/NurseriesPlaygroupsReceptionClasses/DG_10016103

Until then, nothing automatic - but can try via Sure start, health visitors, or GP referal if she's really struggling. Or some nursaries have bursaries for hardship cases. Or she could try a playgroup - they charge but not as much as private nursaries, and she wouldn't really need the full 8 hour day presumably, just a few morning sessions a week would give her a bit of a break.

Otherwise, friends with similar aged DCs might be willing to take hers for a bit of the time here and there, or do some swaps.

It really is truly shit isn't it.

I feel like chucking myself under a bus somedays. I have zero support.

My son's father is working at Rajabhat University in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, where he ran off to (firstly going to cambodia to shag cheeky lisa and numerous other prostitutes like navylady before shacking up with his Burmese shag) taking all our money and leaving me with ten grand over draft no job and a small baby.

He aint coming back any time soon to have ds for a weekend or an evening.

Well done David Cameron btw on your impressive "dead beat dads" speech - which has reaped ..oh, sorry, achieved feck all.

I have registered www.fecklessfathers.com as a domain name.