OK, how does anyone work and manage before/after school childcare?

[LittleSilver]

How? I am due to go back to work in Jan after DD3 (DD1 is 4 and DD2 is 2). DD1 starting school, which has NO wrap around care whatsoever, nor does the pre-school DD2 is starting at (attached to the school). We live in a small, quite isolated village with one CM, who does not do after school care. DD3 is meant to be going to nursery, which at least does work around my hours, but I have no idea what to do about before and after. So far I have:

1. Contacted a nanny agency to see if one can do 0730-0900, then 1530-1800 (yes, I know I was being optimistic). They said no.
2. Asked the village CM if she would consider looking after DDs. She said no.
3. Asked a SAHM at pre-school if she would consider looking after DDs for those hours, she said no and I wanted to die of embarrasment for asking.
4. Asked local quasi-CM if she could do the hours; she can't commit on a regular basis so that is no go.
5. Work can't tweak my hours 1000-1400 (again, slightly optimistic of me)
6. DH works unnegotiable shifts.

What do you guys do? Am I missing something terribly obvious? And no, haven't got convenient unemployed granny/auntie/neighbour on hand.

Please don't flame me for working part-time. I'd love to be a SAHM, but it's not currrently an option.

Oh, and I only work 3 days per week, job share not an option as I have 3 DC and everyone else I know just has 1, which makes it a little unequal!

You may have already done this, but have you discussed it with the school. Afaik (in England anyway) schools are all meant to be working towards having wraparound from 8-6 by 2010. (I think) Some schools don't have their own wraparound, but have arrangements with another school. e.g. dd's school used to take the children to another local school as they shared the wraparound.

Do any of your local nurseries offer wraparound? One local to us does, with priority given to children who have attended the nursery in the past.

Good luck btw.

We have a parent-run after school club, rather than one run by the school.

You (or dh)may have to seriously consider a change of job, which I know is almost impossible in the current economic climate.

e.g. the only way we make things work is that I have to work shifts, evening and weekends as well as some days. It is crap for our social life and for me and dh seeing each other, but we have to work and the dcs have to be looked after and everything else comes after this of course.

Some nurseries will bring and pick up children from school even if it's a bit of a distance. Also swap playgroup with nursery, on working days. Should give them an incentive...

Have you got a spare room? We have an au pair for before/after school.

What we do is I start work very early (at desk for 7.30) and DH starts later after drop off.

Then i finish 3pm while DH works later.

I do see that this wouldn't work for a lot of people. We were able to tweak our hours and also both at one point did 4 days/week to ease the holiday situation.

We are perhaps unusual in that we are both able/prepared to do pt (well actually 30 hrs is full time but anyway).

A lot of other people use cms, after school club, granny etc. I do see that you don't have these options. Is there not any kind of after school care that picks up from yr village? Schools are now supposed to at very least poitn you in the direction of some care from 8am to 6pm.
Or can you negotaite to work some of yr hours from home?
Otherwise I agree new job may be only option.

Can you not get a nanny and forget nursery for dd3.

I would do some serious digging: i.e. is there really no one else who has the same problem? There must surely be another family in the village with two working parents and no handy gps or whatever?

Otherwise, the only option I can see is to have your children travel with you to where you work (if this is a place which is bigger and has schools and more childcare). I did that with dd1 for a while - not ideal, a lot of her sleeping in the car, but it also did give me maximum working time between 8 and 6, because she was just opposite.

sounds like there's an opening for another childminder in your village - fancy a career change?

in your shoes, I'd ask myself if my job was worth it - could you earn more by doing a different job but with better hours (supermarket work isn't fantastic pay but if you're not forking out £15 an hour for childcare for 3 kids, it's the same as a £20 an hour job during after school hours). If it is worth it, then advertise, either for a nanny willing to work those hours - local paper/colleges training childcare workers etc) or for an au pair if you've got the room.

also speak to school - wraparound care is going to be something they have to provide - not nhecessarily themselves but they will have to be able to point you in the direction of something soon

Au Pair.

Thanks for the answers everyone.

Unfortunately au pair/nanny way beyond our means and we don't live anywhere like close enough to nearest town for them to consider a pick up. Not to worry, and thanks again.