Childcare during school holidays/half term

[isadoraa]

Hi, I was wondering how you all navigate childcare during teacher training days, half terms and the school holidays.

The only issue I have is I have no way of getting childcare for the half terms or holidays. My family are of no help and my partner's family are busy. Me and my partner are fine with using our annual leaves to alternate between childcare but there are still weeks that will be uncovered :/

I am desperate to work, sitting at home between 4 walls all the time is really getting to me, I want to work so bad but genuinely have no clue where to start with childcare. Babysitters/things like that are just too expensive. My son is 4 in January so him starting primary school next September will be a big help to start with.

TIA x

Holiday clubs
Share with other parents
Flexible working

Childminders might be able to help.
Holiday clubs are quite good but often short days.
Sharing with other parents might work, especially if you only have one child.

Holidays clubs- the ones near me are usually longer days that the school day.

Unpaid parental leave

https://www.gov.uk/parental-leave

You just have to factor in the cost of holiday clubs and save towards it monthly. You will probably get tax free childcare towards the cost.

We are going to need approx 4 weeks of holiday clubs (will cover the rest with annual leave) which will be about £560 after tax free childcare. That with wraparound care in term time will cost us about £150 a month over 12 months.

Taking unpaid leave would cost us far more - several £k

Holiday clubs. Ours runs 8am-6pm (£30) or 9am - 3pm (£22) it runs all half terms, 5 of 6 weeks of the summer holiday, and 2 weeks at Easter. It's runs normally the first week of the Christmas holidays too. Inset days we book leave or my mum will have ds. Also, my dh does shift work, so he has week day's off in hus rota sometimes.

Holiday clubs. I've found these offer long enough hours to cover most of the working day - 8-5pm where I am generally.

The school's after school club provision offer childcare all holidays and inset days too which is great as the kids already familiar with the staff there too.

You split the time when there isn't a holiday club between you, and search desperately for all the holiday clubs you can. If you work pt or shifts you might be able to do a swap with another family so you both do childcare but its hard to find a compatible match.
Half terms are most likely to have nothing on offer ime, and only usually a couple of days at christmas, but easter and summer there is usually enough to cobble together, esp once they are 7

You pay for it.

We pay holiday clubs where dont cover it through annual leave or gramdparents helping or with the odd day just at home and we work around them.

We have very little family help - nothing local but DD can go and stay with her for a few days in the summer.

we do a mix of annual leave and holiday clubs. It’s expensive!

Contact your local council and ask what holiday care they provide.

Search holiday clubs in your area. Talk to your local library, they will usually know. Check out people like Supercamps, although your LO may be a bit young yet.

Holiday camps. Especially once he's 5 as hours are very limited before 5 at most clubs.

Local council sports centres often have school hours clubs, local sports clubs have week long camps, although you might need to take some half days.

We use holiday clubs. Usually £20-30 per day depending on the length. Varies from 9-3 to 8-6. It’s expensive but so it nursery and wrap around care so you just have to factor the cost in

Paid for childcare.

Parental leave is an option but rarely, as the time you'll want to use it is when other parents will want it so most employers will delay it until after the peak period. I have one colleague who really struggled when her children started school as she'd planned to use it but when she asked for a few weeks over summer unpaid, she was declined with the option of taking it in the summer. She'd been relying on it and hadn't asked got any leave 😞

Sharing with other parents in the same position.

Term time working.

Work in a school yourself

In my area they offer some free places at holiday clubs - not sure what the criteria are but worth looking into. Perhaps speak to DC school or local council?

I have a job where I generally only work term time (as in the big projects are done during the term...I still have to work but can wfh and around the kids).
Most kids near me go to our holiday club but it's frighteningly expensive.. £56 for 8.30-5.30 so on par with nursery fees. They also don't open all the time, so not at Xmas holidays and not all of the summer. It's also a bit hit and miss what it's like....
Sports clubs are good for the summer especially. My friend wfh so goes and gets her son at 4ish and then carries on tidying loose ends at work whilst he has a snack etc.
when I was a childminder I charged £40 + "consumables" for a day of childcare in the holidays (8am-4pm) so this might be an option?