After School Club versus Shared Childminder Pickup

[outofpractice]

What do you think? A mother whom I barely know (met her at open day, exchanged contacts at my instigation, and since then met up 3-4 times) says she knows someone who can pick up our children after school in the autumn and look after them alternating between our two homes (about 30 mins' walk apart) and wants a quick answer from me. She says this will be much cheaper. My other option is an after school club, which is quite expensive but cheaper than getting an au pair, and I feel more comfortable with it being a club with more than one worker, so the childminder's sickness would not be an issue for me. I am also inclined to go for the after school club because it will be more fun and friendly for ds, and not to be too dependent on another family. Should I be jumping at the chance to save some money like this, or am I right to be worried that we would fall out?

My instinct is that you have not had enough time to give a quick answer. If DS will be spending half his after-school time at her house you need to be happy that this will be the right environment for him, let alone that you like and approve of the childminder. You shouldn't be rushed into this decision.

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CMs are never off ill... well, never in my experience!
The old CM we had was lovely and she had a lively nice mob she used to pick up and take back with her to her own house; she'd give them toast and they'd play happily at her house until picked up. But in your case you don't know the CM, so think I would go for after-school club.

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After-School Club has been a boon for us for all the positive reasons you describe, OOP. Also - a lot of clubs on school premises provide additional employment for people the children already know, such as dinnerladies, and ds has made true friends with a couple of them because of his additional contact time. They are wonderful women.
Batters raises a very important point about this person being registered. I think you must investigate her more closely before opting for a shared arrangement. Also, how friendly are you two children? Is there a possibility they might fall out and be stuck unwillingly together for playdates they don't want?

ds2 goes to after-school club one day a week just for fun! (It's useful for me too to have a day when I don't have to worry about the time in the afternoon if I am busy.) He loves it and enjoys playing with the littler ones - there are lots of different things to do and ours has beanbags they can just collapse and chill on if they're tired. And it's at school so no long walk.

Even if you didn't fall out over it, it would be nicer not to have them in your house after school and wonder what was going on...?

Thanks for your advice. The person my friend suggests is not a registered childminder, but she says she has been cleaning for her for many years. I told her that I had some reservations and would need to meet her cleaner, and discuss rates and work in more detail, before deciding, and now my friend is going to call the after school club and find out more about that. I feel really dubious about using someone who is not a registered childminder, unless I personally knew them very well.

Never use someone who is not registered. She will not be insured, her house will not have been checked, nor will she have a police check. You are putting your children at risk .

yes, for all the reasons stated, go for the after school club. Plus here's another reason: if the childminder is alternating between your home and the other home, you would have to make sure your home was ok for visitors every other day. I don't know about you, but to me, this would be a daunting task.

OOP, my sister and I got sent to someone's house after school for years - she was one of our dinner ladies and her youngest daughter was about my sister's age. It was horrible. I'd much rather have gone for an out of school club!

I have a fantastic childminder now and would recommend her to anyone, but I'd go with your instinct.

After School Club gets the vote from me too ( I use one for DD1)
Whatever your decision make sure that it is yours - don't let this woman steam roll you..
Good luck

If the carer is not someone you know well or a registered childminder, I'd say stick with the after school club. Also, if you did fall out with the other mother - although I am sure you wouldn't - it would be a bit awkward to go to eachothers houses every other day to pick up the children.

OOP do you work? I mean are you likely to get stuck at work and be late to pick up ds. I was thinking what would happen if you got delayed and how flexible is your after-school club ? childminder's (and I mean registered) might be more willing to look after your kids for a bit longer. Just something else to think about.

Just out of interest (and for future planning!) how much do your AFter School Clubs charge? And do they do before school too? Does anyone use them to effectively give a full day, 8-5.30, as you get with nursery? Thanks!

miranda, our after-school club is £4.50 a day - 3.30-5.45 (I think it's 5.45, I pick up DS2 between 5.15 and 5.30)

They are just starting a breakfast club, 7.30-8.45, I think that's about £2.50, but don't quote me.

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My after school club is £5.50 for 3-6pm, the before school club is £1 for 8.00 - 8.50am. The before school club is a real bargain as you don't have to book it so can just use it when you like. dd1 (just 4) really enjoys it, though she only goes once a week, she meets the older children who all make a fuss of her. it's excellent.

Ours is more expensive, at £8.00 a session from 3.30pm to 6pm, but we feel it is worth it as it is on-site and run by people ds already knew (dinnerladies and playground supervisor). We use Breakfast Club too, Miranda. It was a hard call as we are well aware it is a long day for ds, but as he was already used to day-nursery, we felt in the end it was less disruptive for him to spend a longer day in one familiar place than to take him to a child-minders, then she take him to school half an hour later etc. We also get to do a handover and pick-up from school staff every day and that means messages and feedback from teachers are less likely to be garbled.
Ds, who is nearly five, loves it, but he is clearly tired as the end of term approaches.

This conversation is really interesting to me - thanks. Wow, I am totally amazed at how cheap your after school clubs are! This one is good value compared to other options where I live and is £90/ week! It is controlled (subsidised?) by the local authority, however, much of the cost must be for rent and for staff wages as the staff are all highly qualified including two teachers. Holiday club is £35/ day! My parents are planning to move closer when Mum retires, though, and have offered have ds for school holidays and to help out now and then when I have very early starts/ late evenings because of travelling to work in other parts of the country. When he leaves Nursery, babysitting is going to be a nightmare, as we would have to pay an extra £60 per year just to stay in the babysitting facility, and an extra £13 fee for each booking. I think I will start off with the after school club and see how ds likes it; I am quite good at making friends with other parents as we hang up our children's coats, so that may open up other possibilities as time goes by. I am really happy this morning and momentarily relieved of these perpetual nitpicking financial calculations about the pounds and pence of every form of childcare option, because finally the first csa payment came in from my feckless but now affluent xp, of £496 for the first month. I waited 5 yrs in vain for him to grow up and offer something, but neither love nor money was offered to ds, and now I have had to enforce the debt for ds, which took months and months - an unexpected kind of maternal duty. I will use this to buy ds the after school care that he likes the best.

Thanks for all your replies! I was kind of assuming childcar costs finished when ds started school (and therefore we could afford another when he is 4) but hadn't taken before and after school club costs into consideration! Bother! Will investigate cost round here, there's obviously loads of variation. I think I'll ahve to go for the befoe and after option at least a few days a week, so glad I'm not the only one. Tehn new one and ds will be in for the same hours, which will make life easier. The clubs here are on the school premises, which does seem the best option.

Oop (and everyone else) - it might be worth starting to lobby your employers to start taking up the new childcare vouchers facility which will come in from next year - up to £50/week (per parent though, not per child) totally free of tax and NI. And it does cover after school clubs/holiday schemes (as well as registered childminders). Could be worth up to £20.50 per week of effective discount on after school care to you, depending upon your tax situation, and it even cuts your employers NI bill, so there's a potential saving for them too.