stopping work because childcare not working

narabanekeater

http://www.childcarelink.gov.uk/whitebox/board.asp?cisid=5015&catid=10

There you go Sarah take a look here I found it for you.
Leicesters childcare information service

Spendless

Hi Sarah

I work in a school on a lunchtime. Both this school and my sons schools have Healthy Eating Status, but whilst my sons allows children to take in a packed lunch from day1 of reception. The school where I work doesn't allow packed lunches till Year 1. I assume it's at the heads discretion when packed lunches are allowed.

Having healthy eating status should mean that there are choices such as jacket potatoes, salad, and fresh fruit on the menu on the majority of days. There are only chips on the menu once a week at most at sons and my school. You could ask to see the menu planner.

Some years ago someone I know was having problems finding a childminder due to her changing shifts and she rang a childminder who i think was called the 'co-ordinator' for our area who put her in touch with a childminder who could accomodate the hours she needed.

Good Luck hope you get it sorted.

Sarahsaver

narabanekeater wrote:

http://www.childcarelink.gov.uk/whitebox/board.asp?cisid=5015&catid=10

There you go Sarah take a look here I found it for you.
Leicesters childcare information service

I am involved with this service! I had a list of all the childminders in thi sarea and phoned them all.
No
No
No
is all the response I got.

Sarahsaver

well it is still going on.
I was trundling along nicely, things picking up in the work department, then today am told ds1 is not allowed in the afterschool club for the rest of the week because of behaviour problems.
I am going to ask to see their policies tomorrow.

mows

Have just read through this thread from the beginning - what a complete 'mare!
Like everyone else, I don't have any immediate solutions, but hope the following may be of some use (although expect you will have thought of all this already, as you strike me as a very resourceful person)...
1. Would it be worth looking at having an au pair to stay as a medium term solution? They aren't that expensive, and will do some childcare / housework, although not as much as a nanny / cleaner etc as it is meant to be more of a "family situation". Obviously you would need a spare room for them, but it would mean flexible childcare in the event of sickness, school holidays etc, and not being let down at the last minute like your current afterschool care is doing.
2. Is it worth going back to the leicester childcare organisation thingy and telling them how no one was available to provide the care you need - they may have some other aces up their sleeves (although I have a dim view of any statutory provision, so wouldn't hold my breath).
3. Have you tried negotiating with the charity to work two half days rather than one full day? I don't know details of what you do, but is it worth asking - that way at least for 2 days the after school club wouldn't be an issue?
4. I'm self employed too (have been since January) and a SAHM with no local friends and family, so do sympathise with trying to run a business and sort out childcare. It may not work for your business, but i'm upfront with my clients about when I'm available for face to face meetings, which is only 3 mornings /week (when I have childcare arranged) - in the same way as if i only worked part time. To date this has worked well, although obviously it's still early days. The non face to face bits i do at home whenever. Is there some way you could tweak the business to accommodate this sort of arrangement, which would mean no more run-ins with the after school club.
finally, best of luck with sorting the after school situation.
hope some of that helps a little.

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi sarahsaver

Just wanted you to know that im thinking of you ATM. I hope it gets sorted and quickly. Is there anyone you can complain too? Take it higher?

You have been such an inspiration to me over the past few months and would love nothing more than for this to be sorted for you.

I will be reading this post to see how it moves forward.

All the best.

PP
xx

Sarahsaver

ds is with me today tomorrow and thurs after school. I feel they are taking advantage of my situation, because they wanted to exclude him for the whole week but then when I said i had a big job on Friday (i do) they said 'ok bring him in on friday.
I am pe'ed off!

mows

Am i missing something here, then, because excluding your son then "relenting" because you have work commitments sounds abit strange - I would have thought that if a child did something so dreadful they needed to be excluded then that was that, rather than him being excluded then allowed back because you need the childcare! v. strange.
Is it possible to have some sort of clear written guidance on what is and isn't acceptable behaviour in the eyes of the after school club? - and from that negotiate some sort of written agreement around your son's behaviour if appropriate. i would also suggest a written plan for what should happen if your son displays whatever behaviour it is, as unless it's a one off incident of monumentally awful proportions then I would have thought there would be less drastic measures than exclusion which could be taken, reinforced by you at home?
Besides, at 4 years old he's hardly likely to improve behaviour just because he's excluded for a week - it's you that's being punished it seems to me.
It sounds as if they're being abit arbitrary to me....hope you can manage to sort it...

Savvy_Sue

Hang on, this is DS1? so the older one rather than the younger one?

Absolutely agree with mows, exclusion for a week should not be the first step unless he has done serious damage to person or property!

Sarahsaver

this is the 5 year old, did a couple of silly things. They are on shaky ground as there has been child mental health services involvement...equal opps 'n all that... and besides he has been little trouble before. Yes they are being very arbitrary, I'm glad you spotted that, it is discrimination on the grounds of employment status. And how are my kids going to settle in if we keep getting messed around like this. I earnt a very nice amount of money today, and it is totally unfair that my whole situation seems to be hanging on a thread. Tomorrow who knows - here comes the dole again?