Childcare for Over 12s? Does it Exist?

gardenia101

I was hoping to go back to work after 18 months out with health problems & had an interview that I think went well last week. So I thought I'd follow up on the childcare arrangements I had loosely put in place...

BUT the childminder who'd held places has now given them to someone else who wants to start this week (fair enough, I'd do the same). I need a childminder to collect from primary school, of which there are 3 with no spaces!

Another childminder will have them, provided I pay for 52 weeks/year & pay for full days for 2 kids even though I only need after school for 1 & before & after school for the other. Feeling a little ripped off (although I can see why she'd prefer to have kids all day) the deciding factor was that she wanted me to collect my son from school & deliver him to her house after school! Can see that going down well with my employers

So - holiday clubs around here all take primary school age only, OK for 1 but not for my just turned 12 year old! I've no family anywhere nearby & the few friends I have either all work full time, or have their own family care needs. I don't drive so limited to public transport which is unreliable in my area, and yes, I'm a single mum (ducks...)

Any ideas anyone - term time only jobs are few & far between & now I have kids at different schools I have 2 sets of TDDs, so that is an extra 10 days of cover I'd need. Beginning to think work just isn't going to happen due to childcare problems, which I thought I'd left behind no they are older

FBaby

can't your 12 year old stay at home on his/her own? I'm on the same situation, working full-time 45 minutes away. I take my 8 year old to breakfast club and picking up from afterschool club. My 11 year old (will be 12 on 31/12) is on her own for 1 hour in the morning and in the afternoon until we are back. It was a bit of a scary prospect to start with, she had hardly ever been on her own, up to an hour or so at home, and only to the corner shop, but she is a mature and sensible girl and I had to accept it was time to give her more freedom. She gets up when we leave at 7:15, then texts me just before she goes, then again just as she gets home. I have encouraged her to do activities after school, in which case, she will only be on her own for 1/2 or so.

gardenia101

FBaby wrote: »

can't your 12 year old stay at home on his/her own? I'm on the same situation, working full-time 45 minutes away. I take my 8 year old to breakfast club and picking up from afterschool club. My 11 year old (will be 12 on 31/12) is on her own for 1 hour in the morning and in the afternoon until we are back. It was a bit of a scary prospect to start with, she had hardly ever been on her own, up to an hour or so at home, and only to the corner shop, but she is a mature and sensible girl and I had to accept it was time to give her more freedom. She gets up when we leave at 7:15, then texts me just before she goes, then again just as she gets home. I have encouraged her to do activities after school, in which case, she will only be on her own for 1/2 or so.

Hi - yes I'd be happy to give that a try during term time, but I'm not comfortable with her being alone all day during the holidays. My hours would be between 8 & 6 so I'd be leaving her early so I could drop my 9 year old at one of the clubs she is too old for, & getting back even later so she could be on her own for 8-9 hours/day for weeks at a time during the summer! :eek: How do you cope during the holidays?

Maybe I'm being overprotective but she is young for her age. Would an employer really expect me to leave her on her own for so long?

System

gardenia101 wrote: »

Would an employer really expect me to leave her on her own for so long?

An employer would not be interested in your home arrangements, however they would take a very dim view of a new employee turning around and saying that they could not work the contracted hours.

kingfisherblue

In my area, there are sports sessions at the council sports centres during the holidays - is this an option?

You could also contact your Family Information Service at the council to check availability of childcare in your area - our FIS has all sorts of information. If a childminder isn't an option because of lack of pllaces for this age group, the FIS will be able to let you know about any clubs nearby, so if an after school activity isn't suitable, there might be something at a librabry or community centre that would be.

gardenia101

!!!!!! wrote: »

An employer would not be interested in your home arrangements, however they would take a very dim view of a new employee turning around and saying that they could not work the contracted hours.

I realise this so that is why I won't be able to accept the job (should I be lucky enough to be offered it). I'm in the difficult situation of not being able to pay for childcare to definately have in place just in case I get offered work, but need childcare before I can accept a job.

I've been honest with them about needing to find childcare (so probably won't get the job anyway now ).

Just wondered what other peolpe do. Surely I'm not the only person who needs 12+ childcare?

gardenia101

kingfisherblue wrote: »

In my area, there are sports sessions at the council sports centres during the holidays - is this an option?

You could also contact your Family Information Service at the council to check availability of childcare in your area - our FIS has all sorts of information. If a childminder isn't an option because of lack of pllaces for this age group, the FIS will be able to let you know about any clubs nearby, so if an after school activity isn't suitable, there might be something at a librabry or community centre that would be.

I thought of this after I'd posted :rotfl: - the sports centre requires under 10s to be signed in by an adult & they only run sessions for a few hours each day. At the moment I wouldn't trust my 2 to get there safely together without arguing & it is quite a hike (40 min walk, no bus). My FIS has confirmed that they don't run anything for 12+ at all in my area, & that there are no local childminders with 2 vacancies.

t0rt0ise

I worked in a school when my children were that age. Did leave them alone for a couple of hours in the evening while I did an evening course but wouldn't have left them all day in holidays and things.

LittleMissGiggles123

Does your daughter have any friends that she would be able to spend some time with during the holidays? Ideally not every day but if she can maybe go to friends houses for a few days during the week & then you coulduse some of your annual holidays to book days off that you're still struggling with.

newmumincov

I worked out that there are 14 weeks of non-school days per year (holiday and inset days). The minimum holiday allowance is 4.8 weeks a year, leaving you 9 weeks to cover (roughly)

It really depends on where you are, but the holiday camp type places can be good for the main holidays.

I've looked into them for my daughter and found that there's one on the way to work (well, a do-able detour away, anyway). Now that my local nursery holiday club have upped their prices, it's only about £5 dearer per week to send her there during the day, so I'm seriously considering it for next summer as they do swimming every day. Oh and they take vouchers

Two examples are http://www.kingscamps.org/ and http://www.supercamps.co.uk/.

I know some places do overnight places though I've not looked into it myself.

Sign your kids up for scouts/guides and you'll hopefully get at least a weeks camp out of them too.

Also don't totally discredit friends and neighbours. When I had to move jobs in the summer, I ended up getting my 18 year old babysitter (also a neighbour) to pick my daughter up from school and drop her off for a couple of days a weeks. Now she's gone to uni her mum has taken over and has agreed to cover until my flexible working request gets approved. I'm paying for it, but it's worth being able to carry on working and I know my daughter's OK.

Other neighbours take each others kids to school and I've also known friends who have got work buddies who take alternate days off to look after each others kids for things like school closures and the shorter holidays.

rainbow81

I guess the norm is for kids at the age of 12 to be fairly independent and be hanging around with friends in the holidays. Do you think your daughter really will be all by herself or do you think it's more likely that she will have friends round/go out most days?

I was going to suggest the old fashioned "get a babysitter" route but, tbh, it might be a bit insulting for a regular 12 year old. If your 9 year old was also at home though .... it probably wouldn't be such an issue (if it is at all, I am just trying to think how I'd feel at that age).

Is the issue less that she needs "care" and more that she needs company?

You do have my sympathies, I definitely think that childcare is easier (if less affordable) before they get to school age.