Preschool holidays

[Mummymakes]

My child turns 3 next year and starts preschool, he has the 15 hours free childcare. I thought fantastic I will be able to get more hours at work and we'd have so much more money but it hasn't worked out like that, unless I have the wrong end of the stick. The preschool is attached to a primary school and is closed for summer holidays, half term and other various holidays throughout the year. I'm on min wage and can't afford to pay for childcare fees to cover these holidays and I have no family to look after my child. If I do get extra hours my tax credits are cut, so when I can't work due to these holidays, I would lose my wage and my tax credits as I've gone over the limit. So its impossible for me to work. The sums don't add up. Is anyone else in this position.

The government basically only pays for 15 hours/week over 38 weeks. So 570/hours per year. Theoretically you could split this over 50 weeks, and it would work out as 11.4 free hours a week, but many settings only operate term-time only.

Some private nurseries also take government funding and you could possibly see if one of those would let you do 12 hrs/week - so 4 3 hour days rather than 5. You would need to top up the extra 0.6/hours a week. However, the government funding doesn't always cover the nurseries costs. Its maybe worth asking though.

Pre schools attached to schools normally only open term time anyways.And the 15h pw free are term time too.

Cant you use the 15hpw remaining money to pay for the other hours you need at a private nursery/CM?

What is your current set up wrt hours/childcare?

They are closed for about 13 weeks . Presumably you'd have some annual leave to cover some, do you have a friend or two in similar position who you can do a swap with, a partner who could also take leave, or use holiday club/childminder for remaining weeks?

Some childminders accept the funding and can spread it over the year.

Hi Penny, my husband works full time Monday-Friday and I look after my son, then I work Saturday and Sunday and we swop, he takes care of him. We have no family or friends to look after him. He works long hours so I cant get an evening job or a night shift.
Another lady suggested using our annual holiday but that's doesn't work due to the Christmas period where my husband works Saturdays and I have to use my holidays up to cover childcare.
Maybe I'll have to try and spread the funding out some how like the others ladies have suggested. Its certainly not as straight forward as I thought it was going to be.

Thank you for everyone who replied. Its good to get some feedback, from fresh eyes.

The hours are funded as education, not childcare, which is why the funding is only given for school terms.

Some providers spread it out if you ask, but I assume they are taking on the cash flow management of that.

We qualify for the free hours and stretched them. So DS does 10 hours a week (2 * 5 hour sessions) including the school holidays but I think it's over 48 weeks. But that is at a private nursery.

Its a good idea to stretch the hours, but I was going to get a second job and I thought the hours would be in a big chunk, because nobody is going to hire me to just work a few hours a day. Hey maybe I will get lucky and they will. Plus I have to get from work to the school in time to pick up my child. I don't know I'm sure something will turn up.

What kind of big chunk - 9-3?

Iirc the maximum is 6 hours per day (2x3hour sessions) for 39 weeks unless the LA allows it otherwise.