appeal on childcare grounds? Desperate!

[runningmom]

Dear all,
We were offered our second choice at a good primary and our hearts sank as we were told the same week that despite being on the waiting list for a year for the after school club there are lots of children above us and no place is likely to be free until next Sept. I had childcare lined up for our first and third choice and have exhausted all avenues ie every single childminder on any list available!
What can I do in all seriousness? I read that you can't appeal on grounds of childcare issues but with no other options I am stuck. Neither myself or my huusband have the option to leave work that early and I can't go parttime or give up my job. I'm really stressed and just hoping that we get a place via the waiting list method at first choice school (ironically closer.)

A related question in response to some of the child are solutions suggested here. If you look after someone's children before school, take them to school, pick them up and take them back to your house and look after them till their parent picks them up do you have to be a registered childminder? Does it depend on whether you receive payment? Ages/number of children? Length of time they are looked after?

Just interested as a) I could be interested in doing that or b) if I go back to work would need someone to to they for me

Hairytoe - if it's in your own home I think it depends on the number of hours you do. But if you look after the kids in their own home, then you're technically a nanny not a childminder and I don't think you actually have to be registered.

Thanks. I have tried everyone on the council's lists for both LEAs and seems people either don't pick up from there, are full or don't want the job as they prefer full time mindees. I have one who is 'thinking' about the job but is not keen and wants 2 weeks to think and has already asked me how much I'd pay and so makes me feel uncomfortable already although I'm aware that beggars can't be choosers.
Can I also say I put an ad on gumtree and someone swore in a reply telling me I was unfit as a mother if I needed childcare and that kids should come before my children. I was upset for all of about a minute before I got mad. Hmmmm why is it soooo hard to get childcare!
Thanks for advice. I will try a local nursery.

or rather that kids should come before my work! Oops

i don't know but you have my sympathies. i'll be watching this thread as most likely will have to move my year 1 ds from a lovely school due to lack of childcare :(

Purple roses thanks for that reply that's good to know

No easy answers but sympathy - we didn't put one excellent local school down at all because it has no after school club and there are no childminders who will do pick up / drop off there - small village in a rural area.
However our daughter is happy and thriving in the school she's ended up at, so it may well work out alright. Try to remember, it isn't just about the childcare choice, it's about all the other very good reasons tht you work - like having enough money to pay the mortgage! - that also benefit your child (again, nothing against sahms, advantages both ways, just trying to say that the decision to work is not usually a selfish one at all but a decision we take thinking of our children as well). Hope tht makes sense!

I think it's crazy that a working mum is finding it this tough to send her dc to the allocated school. I really feel for you. Sounds like you've explored lots of options. I would hold fire. Accept the school place, get my dc on the waiting list of a school that is the next best solution. Childcare may be full now, but places often open up. You just have to be on your toes (which you are). I wouldn't defer entry for childcare reasons, as dc will lose out. Also my dcs attend a v oversubscribed school but each term children seem to leave from their year. Places open up. Let us know how you get on.

I don't think you've exhausted all the options yet as you don't seem to have considered a mothers help.

Coming in before and after school is exactly what they do. I advertised in my local newspaper, explained the hours/days I needed and got lots of replies and have friends who have used the same kind of arrangement.

Don't give up hope, good luck

lifesalongsong i would be interested to hear more about that. woudl a mother's help drive the child home from school (its 2 1/2 miles by road, no footpath in our case)?

Yes, I use the term mothers help just to distinguish it from a nanny or childminder as this is a much more informal arragement, ime if you can find the right person they will do whatever you want them to.

If you need someone with their own car just put that in the advert. Obviously you would need to follow up references etc and use your common sense.

I used mine for school drop offs/pick ups/meal times/baby sitting and cleaning.

We agreed a fee between us (I probably slightly overpaid as I was just happy to find someone to do exactly what I needed) and it worked really well.

I'm glad I've seen this thread. I'm thinking about going back to work soon and was despairing at the lack of after school care. A 'mothers help' sounds like a good idea.

I was under the impression they of anyone looked after your kids on a regular basis for more than 2 hours they had to be a reg childminder. I thought there was a load of fuss a whole ago about patents doing each other 'favours' and the only way round it was if it was a close relative. Does this mean me and another mother at school could look after each others children, provided we did it in the other one's house?!

Is all this very confusing or is it just that after being home with 3 kids all this time my brain has stagnated?

Sorry just realised I should re-post in 'Childcare'

The small village school my children are in have In the past send out notices asking if other parents are willing to share school runs or know of someone who will aid with after school care. Worth asking the school if they are willing to do so, may be the way forward.

Here's the options that friends use (our after school club is full to capacity, there's physically no more room to expand, and the waiting list is huge).

1. live out Au Pair/nanny. Advertised on Gumtree, and also through agency, and with local lanugage school.

1. mother's help - mother at the school who does this, before school and after. I'm not entirely sure it is strictly kosher as neither of the helpers used are Ofsted registered as childminders, but one worked at a local nursery for quite a few years.

1. Local authority run nursery/childcare that does a pick up from local schools including ours. Runs an after school club for older children in a nearby church, and picks up by mini bus.

NEWS.............
After finally and by luck finding a childminder we got the phonecall to say there had been movement on the waiting list and we have a place at school no1 !!! We have a place in the school club too!! Hooray!!! Childminder was lovely but had a dog (eek now will offend all dog owners) and her house reeked of it so I was never comfortable with this option (other reasons too) but we're sooo lucky to have vbeen given this place. Thanks to all the advice people gave. We even had posters up asking for help and had exhausted so many avenues for childcare. Good luck to other moms looking for good care.