Parenting Forums

Posted: 09 July 2008 at 7:10pm | IP Logged

Hi all,

Just after a bit of advice regarding childcare for the school holdiays (although I may have left it a little late), also curious how other working mums deal with the holidays.

My dd is 3 and attends the day nursery at the hospital I work at so its not a problem with her, she still attends in the school holidays.

My ds is 5 and in Reception class. I am there to collect him 3 times a work but the other 2 days my Grandad collects him and takes him to their house for tea. Then he brings him home at 5pm when I'm home from work.  Dp and I have a week off together during the summer hols and each have a seperate week off, that still leaves 3 weeks where I need childcare for Ethan (I work 4 days - 2 full days and 2 half days).

I know my grandparents will have him but it is quite a lot to ask as they are both in their early seventies and Ethans at that age where he always has to be doing something and the grandparents get easily tired and soemtimes my nana can be quite irritable with him (he knows how to wind her up and does sometime play up for her). They do their best and I am very grateful but think Ethan needs something where he can be busy and run off some energy instead of watching tv and playing with the same toys etc.

There is a playscheme run through work at a local nursery (not dd's) or another one closer to home but I am worried whether he would settle as he won't know anyone, new environment etc. I have spoken to him and asked him about it but he just said he would think about it.

Also, does anyone know how it works with tax credits. At the minute I get enough tax credits to cover dd's nursery fees but how do I go on if Ethan did go to a playscheme for 3 weeks of the summer hols? Do they just amend it for the month?

Posted: 09 July 2008 at 9:10pm | IP Logged

For tax credits you need to work out how much dd's fee's, and Ethan's summer fee's are for the entire year in total, then divide it up by 52 and give the tax credits a weekly figure. They'll pay you say an extra £2 a week but that covers the summer holiday care you need. As you havent yet done this you'll have to calculate the remainder of the fee's you have to pay for dd, and the fee's for Ethan and divide it by the number of weeks left in the financial year.

Joshua will be attending a new holiday club this summer. Ive taken him to view the nurseries and let him have the control over where he goes. Ive explained his school friends wont be there but he is fine with that and quite excited. He'll also be attending in the shorter school breaks. Joshua attended a playscheme last year, and I was quite worried about him settling but he was great, although he was only there a couple of hours a day. This summer he will be there 2-3 full days. Im not to worried, he isn't a clingy child and I have to work so he has no choice but to go lol

I would start making calls though holidays are not far off and places will be filling. They'll be lots of schools closing and not many playschemes to compensate. Hope you find something that suits you all xxxx

Posted: 01 August 2008 at 10:05pm | IP Logged

i work for tax credits and unfortunately for tax credits purposes you can only claim childcare if it is expected to run for more than 4 weeks. and you do then pro rata the weekly cost. you would also have to put the childcare on seperately as they are 2 different providers.

pm if you need any more advice im more than happy to help. i am a tax creit advisor so when u ring 08453003900 that could be me on the end of the phone so i really know all there is about tax credits

xx