Need for extended hours?

[Penny1959]

As part of a post on FB I have been asking for cm's to say if there is a need for extended hours in their area. I have now decided to collate the information to use in the deregulation campaign as another threat to our business and another suggestion that is not in best interests of children .

From my personal experience there is not much demand - but maybe there is in your area?

So please either post here or PM me - Do you offer extended hours and what times? Have you EVER provided extended hours? Have you ever turned down an enquiry because it was for extended hours? I need your general area as in county but will not include your name or pass on your details. Thank You.


Penny

[loocyloo]

when i lived in hampshire i was asked to care for a 8 yr old from 6.30 every morning as mum was a nurse and worked the early shift,so she could pick up from school.

dad managed to shift his hours at work, and in fact i started at 7.30 instead.

i also used to have a (different) schoolie till 8pm one night a week.

i haven't been asked for extended hours here in north yorkshire, but come january will be starting at 7.30 with a babe. If i were to have a parent working in york or one of the big towns around here, i think i would probably be looking at a 7.00/7.30 start with a 6.00/6.30 finish due to traffic.

just remembered i was asked a while back to do 6 - 9pm for 2 littlies, but in fact mum found someone to go to her house, as littlies needed to go to bed!

[Bridey]

I start at 0715 and finish at 1800. In nearly 13 years I have only once been asked for extended hours and that was a 5am start ... which I turned down.

I'm in Hampshire.

[sharonmanc]

I have not been asked for extended hours since starting in March, I am in Oldham

[rickysmiths]

It depends what you mean by extended hours Penny.

I have always worked from 7am to 6 or 6.30pm and sometimes to 8.30pm for the odd nurse on a late. I consider the core above to be the norm. I know some childminders charge extra for before 8am because they consider this is out of hours I would never work if I took this type of view.

I have had one inquiry for up to 10pm a coupe of months ago for a bus driver who worked shifts but they found someone nearer to them thank goodness that is a bit late.

& am to 6.30pm is the norm here I would say.

[Pixie dust]

I am in norfolk and up until May I had 2 children whose mum worked as a nurse at the local hospital so they were here until 9.30pm some nights and my current family mum works in the local supermarket and can start with me at 6.30am and sometimes are here until 8.15pm(dad sometimes works away)

[Penny1959]

It depends what you mean by extended hours Penny.

I have always worked from 7am to 6 or 6.30pm and sometimes to 8.30pm for the odd nurse on a late. I consider the core above to be the norm. I know some childminders charge extra for before 8am because they consider this is out of hours I would never work if I took this type of view.

I have had one inquiry for up to 10pm a coupe of months ago for a bus driver who worked shifts but they found someone nearer to them thank goodness that is a bit late.

& am to 6.30pm is the norm here I would say.

That is a good point Rickysmiths - what is extended hours?

I personally would say before 7am and after 6pm - but some would say before 7:30 and after 6.30

So as a ball park I would say before 7am and after 6.30 - a good starting point is the hours local nurseries are open and before and after school clubs.

Reading various posts here and FB people do have a varying idea of extended hours but Cameron is talking of up to 8pm.

If everyone posts their own ideas of extended times I sort out the recording of the data.

Penny

[blue bear]

I used to do til 8pm. Also did 4 years of 5.30 starts.

My friend does 4-9 every night of the week for one child but does over nights twice a week for another child.
To be honest we dont get a lot of calls for extended hours. I don't know if any other minders who offer extended hours in my area.

The after school club opens at 8 and closes at six and is very popular at the moment.

[The Juggler]

i really think this is not something the Government should be encouraging if they want to redress the work:life balance. However, there WILL always be shiftworkers who have no options if they have no local family and/or they are a single parent.

However, opening schools is NOT the answer. Even after school clubs are hard for the younger ones and they are only until 6pm usually. Kids under 8 at least need to chill after school and even the best after school clubs don't offer a chill out environment - there are too many kids.

I think the government should actively be encouraging parents to use after school activities, childminders, the after school clubs but by 6pm they should be taken home and cared for by parents/family/babysitters (or at a push be be with a childminder until 8pm or do an overnight with a minder) so they can get homework done, have a meal and go to bed - they do NOT need to be in a large group environment til 8pm at night

The government need to be discouraging workaholic parents from thinking 'it's ok' for kids to be in childcare from 8am to 8pm - not good for them at all. Shiftworkers, - it can't be helped I know but other options need to be there not the schools.

rant over

[singingcactus]

My current location is irrelevant to my answer, but my lifestyle (for want of a better word) means that my clients need extended hours often. We are military and 95% of my client base is military.

We need childcare cover for shift work, exercise, courses, deployments etc. Frequently both parents are military or the family has only one parent.

Shifts can start anywhere from 5.30 and shifts that are not all night tend to finish around 10.30 or later, with any combination of times in between.

When I first started minding and provided over night care, I often had my children for weeks on end (although could not legally have them for over 27 consecutive nights without involving social services, so grandparents occasionally stepped in too) because the military do not play nice with families, despite the majority of the military being made up of serving family members, and would often send parents away at the same time for extended periods. This still happens now. My neighbours are both deployed in conflict zones and the little girl is living with the nan.

So when you send the information in can you ask them to consider military families as a separate entity in the whole childcare discussion. We need extended hours often, and all night care, and sometimes 24/7 care.

[Trouble]

There is a childminder here who works 24 hours a day

[Trouble]

My current location is irrelevant to my answer, but my lifestyle (for want of a better word) means that my clients need extended hours often. We are military and 95% of my client base is military.

We need childcare cover for shift work, exercise, courses, deployments etc. Frequently both parents are military or the family has only one parent.

Shifts can start anywhere from 5.30 and shifts that are not all night tend to finish around 10.30 or later, with any combination of times in between.

When I first started minding and provided over night care, I often had my children for weeks on end (although could not legally have them for over 27 consecutive nights without involving social services, so grandparents occasionally stepped in too) because the military do not play nice with families, despite the majority of the military being made up of serving family members, and would often send parents away at the same time for extended periods. This still happens now. My neighbours are both deployed in conflict zones and the little girl is living with the nan.

So when you send the information in can you ask them to consider military families as a separate entity in the whole childcare discussion. We need extended hours often, and all night care, and sometimes 24/7 care.

Bless i think your fab

[md0u0131]

I start at 7am (occasionally 6:30 as a favour to one family - once every 3 months probably) and finish at 6pm (again the very occasional late night - 8pm). I have been asked by people enquiring to work Saturdays and weekends but I always turn it down as I consider that family only time.

[sarah707]

I am in Cheshire... I have been minding 18+ years... I have never been asked for work before 730am or after 6pm.

If parents want after 6pm I would suggest they employ a babysitter who collects the child, takes them home, does bedtime routines and puts them to bed!

[Zoomie]

I have to say that I have been a childminder for 3 years now, and in the last year I have come across about 4-5 enquiries that required 8pm collections. Also some wanting weekend cover.

Unfortunately I am not prepared to work these extended hours (currently do 7:30 to 6:30 most day).

[Penny1959]

i really think this is not something the Government should be encouraging if they want to redress the work:life balance. However, there WILL always be shiftworkers who have no options if they have no local family and/or they are a single parent.

However, opening schools is NOT the answer. Even after school clubs are hard for the younger ones and they are only until 6pm usually. Kids under 8 at least need to chill after school and even the best after school clubs don't offer a chill out environment - there are too many kids.

I think the government should actively be encouraging parents to use after school activities, childminders, the after school clubs but by 6pm they should be taken home and cared for by parents/family/babysitters (or at a push be be with a childminder until 8pm or do an overnight with a minder) so they can get homework done, have a meal and go to bed - they do NOT need to be in a large group environment til 8pm at night

The government need to be discouraging workaholic parents from thinking 'it's ok' for kids to be in childcare from 8am to 8pm - not good for them at all. Shiftworkers, - it can't be helped I know but other options need to be there not the schools.

rant over

Could have been my words Juggler

I hope to show that parents do not need this sort of care and the reasons why this is better for child and family.

Although early days - so far there seems to be very little demand - and some of those who do offer extended hours - such as me - are not rushed off their feet with enquires.

Penny

[Penny1959]

My current location is irrelevant to my answer, but my lifestyle (for want of a better word) means that my clients need extended hours often. We are military and 95% of my client base is military.

We need childcare cover for shift work, exercise, courses, deployments etc. Frequently both parents are military or the family has only one parent.

Shifts can start anywhere from 5.30 and shifts that are not all night tend to finish around 10.30 or later, with any combination of times in between.

When I first started minding and provided over night care, I often had my children for weeks on end (although could not legally have them for over 27 consecutive nights without involving social services, so grandparents occasionally stepped in too) because the military do not play nice with families, despite the majority of the military being made up of serving family members, and would often send parents away at the same time for extended periods. This still happens now. My neighbours are both deployed in conflict zones and the little girl is living with the nan.

So when you send the information in can you ask them to consider military families as a separate entity in the whole childcare discussion. We need extended hours often, and all night care, and sometimes 24/7 care.

Yes I will certainly make this point - and if ok with you may come back for a bit more information (due to my lack of knowledge on the subject)

Can I ask - do you think military families would like to see schools open for longer and providing childcare?

Many thanks for raising the issue

[zippy]

I've had couple in seven years one was early start 5:30 - 18:00. And one was some 6:15 - 20:45 about two a week mum was a nurse

[uf353432]

I'm in North Dorset and my core hours at 7.30-6.30, in nearly 4 years I've never been asked to work outside of these hours BUT I do advertise my hours in all my advertising and perhaps I don't get enquiries for earlier or later.

The families i care and have cared for have used me up until 6.30pm and some have started at 7.30am - but in the main most families use me for between 8am and 5.30pm

Aside from the Military in the local area (who are catered for by childminders on camp in the main) I don't think that many childminders get calls to work outside the norm core hours.

[Roseolivia]

I work Mon-Fri 8am-6pm. I have only worked after 6pm once for a student nurse who had a late night college/shift 2 days a week. I have never been asked since and i have never been asked for weekend work.
I wouldn't work after my normal hours now as I have Rose and Alfie to contend with and after 6pm is my time.