Wraparound care

[Wallflower22]

Ladies please give me advice i don't know what to do.

My boy starts school in september but the school he is going to don't provide breakfast/after school club for reception children due to no demand apparently. I have contacted all the childminders that drop off/pick up from that school and all are full so i have had to put him on waiting lists. There is also a childcare provider that will provide wraparound care at their nursery however they are no longer doing it at my sons school due to not enough demand. Myself or my partner can't change our working hours to fit around childcare nor do we have family to help. I'm at my wits end because its looking like i'll have to quit my job.

Family? Friends? Can either of you WFH and shift your lunch break to pick up time and then park him in front of the TV for the rest of the day?

Sorry I see you said no family.

If you're in London try Koru Kids. If you're not, try childcare.co.uk and maybe Sitters. Do some calculations first to see what the tipping point for you is in cost of childcare re giving up work.

Not much help to you but you should have got started on this ages ago, sorry!

Some nannies might be able to do it. Or a nanny share with another family?

This is poor from the school! If the childminders are all full that suggests that there is demand. Could you raise it with the head and ask what they would suggest?? Is this school your only option? I’d look at another if possible. Xx

As PP has said, look on childcare.com or place any advert for a ‘home help’ - sort of a temporary nanny? You would obviously need DBS checks etc but it could maybe suit a uni student on gap year etc? Then hope a space at a childminder comes up. Also, try and make friends with other mums asap and see if any would be willing to help out in some way if you look after their chil st another time.

We had something similar as breakfast club didn't reopen after lockdown - I had to approach the school and explain we couldn't carry on without it. School agreed to let her in early one day a week and helped me find a childminder to cover another two days.
They need different staffing levels/qualifications to cover EYFS as some of them will be under five which is why some childcare providers don't do Reception.

Long shot ...but if you know any parent who doesn't want to/ can't work but who has children at the school and would like to earn extra money that might work.
Be careful how you approach this though. Many sahp are quite happy with how they've arranged things and don't need the extra money so you need to try to get an understanding of people's situations first. With the hike in prices and fuel/electricity someone might be up for this I'd they can't afford childcare or don't want to work themselves.
If you try this route mm ake sure you don't present it as a favour to you. Make sure you are offering the full going rate any professional set up charged. My friend got lucky with this. She found lovely person who was prepared to do it for a term while she got on waiting lists. It worked so well for both that the arrangement continued for 4 years. Make sure you set up a proper direct debit and the childminder is always paid on time just as you would any other childminder. My friend also showed her appreciation with occasional childminding herself at the weekend as well as bunches of flowers, wine, chocs at birthdays ext. This friend only worked term time but might not work if you need school holiday care though still might. Even if you manage something like this for a term though it gives you breathing space. The important thing, the only way this ever works is never take advantage. Full payment and collect usually 10 minutes ahead of time. Never late. This shows you recognise that you are offering a professional arrangement and that you are not a cheeky user. As I said ...a long shot ...but might just give you a breathing space.If at the e NB d of a term and offer of childcare is isn't going to continue, at least you have had a term's extra work and a little time to look for hours that suit you better. 💐

Have you looked at other schools in the area to see what they offer? It might not be too late to move him to a different school.
When we moved Dd was in y1 and i had to choose a school mainly based on which one offered a breakfast club and after school club.

I'd advertise locally as other families may be in the same situation maybe you could all club together for a nannyshare?

As a side note, what's your plan of action for the massively long school holidays?

We specifically didn't send our DD to the closest school as there's no wraparound care and very few childminders who pick up and drop off there.
I'd really try to switch schools to one that does have before/after school club

Thanks everyone. My son didn't get a place in our chosen school 2mins up the road on our estate that does provide wraparound care (neither did 39 other children). We have been through a lengthy appeals process with no such luck. All the other schools around us have ridiculous waiting lists except the one he is now going to with 5 other children (that we know of off the estate). Tbh i'm glad he is now going to this school as it seems way better than our first choice its just the care. I can't change my shifts to accomodate childcare (nhs nurse) and neither can my partner (works in education). I had no reason to sort chikdcare until now because i presumed he would get 1st choice school and he currently goes to private nursery which are taking him during the school holidays but can't before/after school as different locality. The other parents that i know of from the estate are also in the same position with childcare now so its not just me but neither of them are in a position where we could take it in turns looking after each others kids.

Do you have a spare room for an au pair? Failing that, advertise for an after school nanny/nanny share, or even a responsible teenager or a local retired person (do you know your neighbours?). Good luck, I found wraparound arrangements a bit of a nightmare after the relative ease of nursery!

This might be a long shot but you could try getting in touch with a local sixth form college who offer an early years course to see if they have any students going into second year looking for work. It would obviously have to fit with college timings but they would almost certainly be DBS checked and have some related work experience already.

@piglet81 no we don't have a spare room unfortunately. We have only just moved on to this estate so i don't know anyone except the people in this group chat that started when all the kids didn't get a place and i've never even met them face to face

Can you give us a general idea where you are based? I know someone looking for this kind of job

@TheTeenageYears thanks, i could do i suppose. Never thought of that

@TheLostNights i'm in south yorkshire

Sounds like shared nanny is the way forward then, if you know others in the same situation. Still much cheaper than nursery!

That does sound difficult. For the longer term, if any NHS managers are reading this...you need to look into helping your nurses with problems like this, so they can work!