Emergency childcare?

[user1489844432]

Hello

I am after some advice/direction on emergency childcare, just wondering what others do as I am at a loss here.

There is just two of us and our little one 1yr old. No family around or anyone else who could help out in emergency.

Little one seems to be going through spells of good and not so good health since he started nursery last Nov. He has been sick about 5-6 times since then. I appreciate this is not a lot but it is serious problem to us as we both work FT. So far my partner and I were swapping and staying with little one at home. However I have recently changed job and now on probation until Oct so cant really stay home for obvious reasons.

Little one was sick already twice this month and my partner stayed with him on both occasions. However there is concern how long the employer will tolerate this.

We solely relay on nursery for childcare so if this is unavailable we are in tough spot.

If there is no other options then you aren't really left with any other choice than for someone to be off work..
Have u investigated why Dc keeps falling ill?

Yes, unfortunately no other childcare provider would look after a sick child.
I don't want to sound mean, but your child will have to come before work. I'd not want to be anywhere else but with my sick child ... maybe chat to work about your little ones Ill health, you never know they may be supportive.

You could look into the cost of having a nanny instead so you don’t have to take time off to look after your poorly child.

There are no any underlying health reasons for example he is now off sick with D&V same goes for over half of his room. Previously it was viral infection etc.

I do agree he should be coming before work but the sad truth is that bills have to be paid as well.

I take from the above comments that if there is no family around then no other option but time off work?

I ended up taking two years out of work altogether at the point I had two in nursery getting constant bugs in rotation. It's not easy.

Sorry OP, it isn’t easy, we are in the same boat.
We have to take it in turns depending on who needs to be at work the most and to keep it balanced.
There isn’t any other option, if they are poorly they need you off. I am planning on going PT after no.2 to ease this a bit.

You could look for a babysitter who could come to your house - most are youngster at college but we had an older lady who sat for us and did the odd daytime at short notice. Mostly I went to work at 6am and he went in when I got home, the advantages of flexible employers

There are agencies that offer emergency childcare cover. Have a google for services in your area.

It will be a nanny though at emergency rates, so not cheap!! But probably better than losing your job!

There are services you can use like this:

www.emergencychildcare.co.uk/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwpsLkBRDpARIsAKoYI8zcnc_joYBSSV-W5BERc9LNJobchlpbVj2Rix2A8bqlCQiE3mElQbMaArLwEALw_wcB

Is there any possibility of flexible working or working from home for either you or DH?

You cant work while looking after LO but in the past i have worked from home in the evening once DH got home to make up hours

If you live in an area with a lot of nannies you can try and find cover for each day. Lots of nannies only work 3/4 days a week so have free day in the week.

Or change from nursery to nanny full-time. Although then you have to cover if the nanny is off sick....nannies do tend to be sick less frequently than children are. Can look for a nanny share to almost halve normal costs.

Thanks a lot for your input. Unfortunately cant afford full time nanny but we are looking now into Sitters as potential option. Any thoughts on this? Dont really like an idea of leaving little one with total stranger but this week gonna be 4 days off work, last week 3 days so not looking too good.

Is he outgoing and generally quick to adapt to new people?

Sitters are a good agency as far as I know. Quite thorough in checking people they take on, although that probably differs area to area. You'll probably get the same few people coming so won't necessarily be a different person everytime.

Usually yes but sometimes he gets shy and needs an hour or two to overcome this.

It is so difficult but I genuinely can’t imagine leaving my DD with someone I don’t know. Admittedly I don’t know all the Nursery staff in depth, but she is never alone one on one with them.
I am in the same boat, so appreciate how hard it is, but really when you balance out the impact on work, is it worth it?
Is there any chance of working from home? My DH does this occasionally with DD when she is ill.
I’ll be honest, I have called in sick for me before when it was DD to make it easier, not great either I know.

'but she is never alone one on one with them'

You don't know that, unless she goes to a nursery with CCTV and you watch her the whole time she's there.

Children get abused in nurseries. They die in accidents in nurseries.

It's very, very, very rare thankfully. But then so is the number of children who are abused or injured in the care of a fully trained, fully checked emergency nanny. In fact I don't know of any child who has come to harm with an emergency nanny. If anything they are more checked and come with more references than a full time nanny.

'Is it worth it?' is a fucking diabolical question.

She's looking for properly vetted emergency childcare not leaving the baby with a randomly selected stranger.

Could also consider looking at other nurseries- maybe they're a bit too tolerant of sick children and so have more things going round? DS only goes two days a week but hardly ever gets more than a cold...

Nuffsaid it wasn’t meant to be ‘fucking diabolical’ it’s a genuine question. Emergency care is so expensive (I imagine they’re still charged for usual childcare on top) and do you want a child, who the OP takes time to settle with someone they don’t know, when ill. My DD would be very upset with it, but if the OP’s wouldn’t, then it’s up to them.

I think the main issue here is the workplace not being geared up for working parents. I do have to use holiday and take time off with ill DD (as does DH, we share it), but both companies are understanding of the situation. One of the reasons I chose to work in the place I work.

I know DD’s Nursery is safe.

can either of you WFH with the emergency carer there?

This is what we are trying today. WFH with Sitters looking after little one but again not sure how well received this will be by the workplace. Obviously little one always comes first but unfortunately leaving work to look after little one for few years is not an option, at least at the moment.

Hope it goes well OP!

'Nuffsaid it wasn’t meant to be ‘fucking diabolical’

Maybe you need to phrase things a little more delicately?

You didn't say 'its very expensive, is it worth it'. You said 'I could never leave my DD with someone I don't know.....is it worth it?'.

The 'is it worth it' was a question of safety/the child's wellbeing and not a financial concern.

'I know DD’s Nursery is safe.'

I'm sure it is, but you don't KNOW that anymore than OP would know about a nanny from an agency.

You haven't personally interviewed each member of staff. You haven't conducted your own DBS check. You haven't checked their qualifications. You haven't checked their references. You don't know them. You don't know cover staff or students who come in and out. You don't know what other adults are there during the day. You put your trust in the ownership and management of the nursery. Just like the OP is putting her trust in the ownership and management of Sitters or another agency.

I think you are taking this off subject trying to create an argument.

OP I genuinely wasn’t trying to upset you. I have no need to try and upset strangers online.....!

Use a decent local agency and call them to see what the deal is with emergency nannies.
Have you any friends who might step in that you can pay?
I totally get that you can’t take time off every time a child is ill. You need to ask employers if working from home is an option on these days, though that’s hard with a 1yo. Hang in there, it gets easier once they’re older

'I think you are taking this off subject trying to create an argument.'

You are of course entitled to think whatever you want.

FWIW though....

I'm not trying to start an argument I genuinely think your comment was out of order.

I don't think the safety/merits of emergency nannies is 'off subject'. I think it's highly relevant to this thread!

I think it was extremely unhelpful to question the safety of using an emergency nanny based on absolutely nothing, no evidence.

I do believe it is comparable to using a nursery in terms of safety checks etc.

I do appreciate that you weren't trying to upset the OP (or any other working mum reading this thread) and your comments were careless and not malicious.

I will call when I see it though. It's hard enough to be a working mum. We don't need to make it worse for each other!