How do people do temporary/contract jobs and manage their childcare?

[Schnitzel]

Hello,

I'm a single Mum who is desperate to get back into work after a period of a few years being at home with my child. I am claiming Income Support. I am having no luck with my applications in my chosen profession, so I am now considering going down the temp/contract job route to get me back in the workplace.

However, I'm struggling to get my head around how childcare would work if and when temporary assignments come to an end and before new ones begin. All the childcare providers would require me to sign contracts and I couldn't just pull my child in and out of the childcare as and when I required it (I would be in a catch-22 situation where I couldn't afford the childcare unless I was working). Also, if there were periods where I wasn't working (even a couple of weeks) I would need to claim benefits again. I imagine the process for this is difficult and slow.

I would appreciate any advice from anyone who has managed to make it work and/or has some creative ideas about how it could work.

Thank you.

Give the HR department at your local hospital a call and ask them if there's a shift work nursery or emergency childcare place that their staff use, they are more flexible than other child care settings

A lot of temp contracts have fixed end dates so there's enough time to give notice in, say, an 8 week contract

Lots of people panic about waiting lists, my experience is if you phone up and ask, say, do you have a place to start in 4 months time they'll say no, if you ring up and ask if they have a place NOW! they usually do. My theory is that a lot of people put deposits down at a lot of nurseries/preschools then decide at the last min which one to use, so even the ones with mile long waiting lists for future terms might have space in THIS term.

good luck

I ttemped last year, and was only out of work when I chose to be.

So it may be that you are employed for much of the time.

I no longer require childcare, but I hear what you say about contracts with nurseries, chdminders etc

Have you discussed with the temp agency the amount of work you are likely to be offered/?

I temped for the LA, loads of casual work as they can't recruit many permanent staff.

also I am currently on a 0 hrs contract, but am at the moment managing to get regular days. It varies, in the past I've been on 0hrs contracts where I've had to take what I've been given, but its not always like that

Hello- I may be able to help- I am a party organiser for Ann Summers. I am a mom of 3 and can do this and do the "mom" job too :D-
Its a great way to earn cash and it doesnt cost anything to start (some party plan business ask you to pay up front- but Ann Summers has no up front cost)
If you are interested- just let me know and I can talk to you about joining)
xx

I did some temp work earlier this year, while I was waiting for my college course to start.

One word of warning, if you are relying on benefits (esp Housing Benefit) be aware they take weeks (3 minimum) to sort out changes in circumstances, and as soon as you report a change, no matter what it is, they just stop all payments.

I had to make sure I had my rent saved and put to one side so I didn't get stuck on changovers.

Hope you find something you like though, good luck

Thanks for all the advice! Lilachair - with housing benefit isn't there something called a 4 week "run-on" or something?

Nope, there is a run on with Working Tax Credits. Housing Benefit just stops... obviously it restarts again once they have worked it out, and they pay the arrears, but you need to be prepared for a break in payments.