Unpaid leave for childcare

[KT12]

I have heard that one can take up to 4 weeks unpaid leave to provide childcare. Anyone know about this or how I can find out more?

(I work in education and am entitled only to take annual leave during school holidays. My DD will be attending a prep school which is only open 34 weeks a year, so I need childcare for her for 4 weeks during term time.)

Parental leave? You can always take your holiday time during the weeks with no childcare and put her in a holiday club for the rest of the holidays once it opens.

Thanks belle...parental leave - yes that is what it is called.

I work for a Local Authority - in education and am not entitled leave during term time - the additional school holidays for prep schools are during term time.

you should check the details with your employer as you might find you are not allowed to take parental leave during term time either. As far as I know they are obliged to let you take it but they can delay it to a time more convenient for the business so it might not actually solve your problem.

Genuine Q: are they going to be ok with you doing this every year, if term time working is a requirement of the job? I'm mean can they say no to parental leave and do you need to worry if there any proposed job cuts in your LA?

Term time usually 39 weeks a yr, so you might need 5 weeks, unless you only do 38 or have the extra week covered?

Thanks Mrs Wobble - just looked parental leave up on the web and it's only up until the child is 5 - so won't be a long term solution anyway.

I am allowed up to 13 weeks until my DC are 5 - so that's over the entire 5 year period. That is for emergencies and extended periods of ill health, not basic childcare.

I don't work in education but I can't see any school allowing you to take off 4 weeks every school year off when you already get such long holidays to be honest

I don't know what you do, but I would be a bit cross if, for example, my child's teacher took 4 weeks leave a year - paid or unpaid.

I am a teacher btw.

I thought parental leave was for emergencies, such as sickness?

I would imagine that parental leave under your circumstances would only cover unforseen/long term illness of your child (which is only right and proper). There is no way your school will let you have paid (or possibly even unpaid as is hassle getting supply) leave just because your school terms are different and to be fair I would be very unhappy if I thought a colleague would be able to do this - knowing your term dates a year in advance. What is stopping you going on a lovely holiday in state school term time for a fraction of the price? - sorry I would be very hacked off.

I paid a teaching assistant from the school to care for ds during these parts of the school holidays. Have you asked the other parents what they do? There's lots of options, grandparents? family? friends? nanny?

Just for the record - I am not a teacher and I do not get all the school holidays either. We have recently moved to a new area and as DD has not started at the school yet I have not been able to establish friendships that could support my childcare problem. Grandparents live very far away..my parents live in the Southern Hemisphere. I have explored the nanny option - they are like hens teeth where we live and not sure there will be one available just for a week here or there??

One of the reasons for choosing a prep school is that they offer all day care and it is cheaper once I calculated what a permanent after school nanny would cost. Also the prep school is almost in walking distance from where we live.

london...I find your comment a little cynical and can assure you that I do not have any untoward intentions. I am genuinely trying to solve a difficulty.

Thanks to those of you who have made some helpful comments.

Ds used to go to a holiday club and I would pay one of the staff to look after him for the extra holiday which he was off school and the state schools were not. You can also advertise at the Uni, alot of courses break up early so you can see if you can find a student teacher to be the nanny for the week, they will be CRB checked and child friendly.

It's stressful, especially with the long holidays.

Dinah Rod - I have a feeling that LA's might welcome unpaid leave as all LA's are going to have to make huge savings - no jobs are secure at the moment, however I doubt LA's will be able to financially afford to make lots of people redundant and are therefore exploring all sorts of ways to save money.

My friend takes unpaid leave from her job to cover school holidays. It's a company thing though rather than a stautory entitlement. Ask your HR I reckon. As you say, they'll probably not be averse to the idea right now. Do you provide a service to schools? Would anyone be able to cover that if you were away?

Thanks belle and fallan - The work I do does involve a service to schools, however I manage my own diary and could work so that I do fulfil my obligation.

Also DD's current nursery will take her during school holidays as they cater for children up to 8 during the holidays. DH works away from home for 18 days a month, but will also hopefully be able to cover some of the time when he is off duty. I work 4 days a week. And like belle has said, perhaps once we are more established, we will get support from friends and other parents and I can offer the same on my non-working day...