Need for extended hours?

[rickysmiths]

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

Ok in 18 years I have once started work at 6.30am for a before and after schooler and that was about 12 years ago and the earliest I have ever started since then is 7am and in this area that is about the norm though at the moment I have 7.30-8am starts. The latest I have worked is 8.30pm and that is only once since we moved here 8 years ago and it was for a nurse.

In the last six months I have had an inquiry from a Bus driver who needed a couple of times a week to 10pm and some weekends. First time I have ever been asked to work weekends on a childminding basis. I do currently work Sat and Sun but that was a babysitting job that I have done on a childminding level, the mum has loved it and last weekend asked if I could do one full day in the week from Sept.

So you can see in SW Herts which is well in the London Commuter belt and some of my parents do go into London for work, I currently work 7.30 to 6pm and there is no demand for longer hours. All the local Day Nurseries are open from 7am to 6.30pm.

I fail to see any need here to even think about extending the school day to 8pm. I think this concept is wrong for lots of reasons the main one being, why would any self respecting parent ever want their children in the same four walls for 12 hours a day. Second with Primary Levels these children should be at home, fed and in bed by 8pm if they are ever going to have a chance to succeed at school. It is another Government fanciful idea, just like the give all 3-4 year old funding providing 'free' childcare which of course it won't but they think the gesture looks good and makes it look as if they are doing something.

[winstonian]

The nurseries here (Derby) close at 6pm. I have 2 little boys until 6.30pm 4 nights a weeks. Before they were relying on various family and friends and found the boys were unsettled and mum and dad were finding it hard.
Our co-ordinator has just had an enquiry for Saturday and Sunday but I dint think anyone will be able to do it. We all have our own families.
There is a local enquiry on childcare .co.uk that wants until 8.30pm for a 2year old

[mama2three]

My children are here between 7 and 6.15 so not ' extended hours' as such - but these hours are outside what both local nursery and other local minders are open.
I think the Jugglers post matches my sentiments exactly! I cant think of anything worse for the poor children than to be in this environment for up to 13 hours a day! The govt should be promoting childminders as at least they are in a home environment ! But realistically how many of us would be willing to work these extended hours - as I said Im the only one here willing to work before 8 or past 6!!
And even at time and a half if we had 1 child we would be working these late few hours for less than the minimum wage but with maximum disruption to our families.

[Pipsqueak]

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

What I HAVE noticed is an increase for childcare requests at the weekend
- personally I don't/won't work weekends - I already work long hard hours in the week.

I currently start work at 7am and finish at 6pm (occasionally 6.30 - 6.30)

I used to mind a child till 9.30pm at night and I am willing to work longer hours for the right client.

I haven't noticed an increased request for extended hours during the week only weekends.

[Penny1959]

Thank you everyone for your responses - some interesting aspects that I had not thought of such as those occupations that do need extended hours- but still on the whole it appears so far that not much demand and certainly not enough to warrent opening schools that late.

But maybe with more responses the results will change

Penny

[singingcactus]

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

I can't say for certain either way on that cos people are so different. I can say however that in a lot of cases the schools our children have to attend are just about scraping satisfactory and sometimes get unsatisfactory and often seem to discriminate against military kids - not all of them but a large chunk of them. Also our older kids tend to be transported some miles to the 'local' school. Many parent are dissatisfied with the schools we have to send our children to, in fact many, like me, pay over the odds to have them attend out of catchment schools, or we send our children away to boarding schools at huge expense and great emotional loss. So I would say the majority that I know of would not want their kids in school institutions for longer hours than is strictly necessary. Most people I come across would much prefer investment in family day care for those extended hours. Family based daycare means more intimate ratios, a more family feel and a good and true knowledge of the kids and the family circumstance - which is true of any lifestyle - so the children are better supported while their parents are unavailable outside of usual core hours. I will put the question up on a couple of forums for you and get a truer picture if you like though.

[AliceK]

Our local school club opens at 07.50 and closes at 6pm (5.30pm on a Fri).
My usual hours are 8am until 6pm although this week I am starting at 7am but that's special circumstances. I have never had an enquiry for anything outside my usual hours and most of the families I work for are police, teachers and NHS staff.

xxx

[PerkyEars]

I start at 7.30 and have never had an enquiry for anything earlier than 7am.

My schoolie goes home at 6pm, as do all my babies. I don't think I've ever had an enquiry for anything past 6pm in three years, other than -

- shift workers which as we all know is different
- one offs. E.g. parent going to a work training or conference and travelling back late or has some other out of the ordinary thing happening.

Not many people finish work after 6 on a regular basis.

[pinky33]

I live 45 min commute from London so most of our work is 7-7.

[caz3007]

I agree with Pip about there being more enquiries for Saturdays here than late nights. I wouldnt work Saturdays as that encroaches on my family time and tbh they put up with a lot without it encroaching on that time. I would consider doing the odd Saturday for my full timer if needed as she is part of the family but some of the enquiries were for children that went to another childminder in the week and then wanting someone else for Saturdays.....I dont think so

[elaineg]

In ten years I have never been asked to work later than 6.00, most childminders finish about 5 5-30 I am in Newcastle x

[Penny1959]

[QUOTE=singingcactus;1117975]I can't say for certain either way on that cos people are so different. I can say however that in a lot of cases the schools our children have to attend are just about scraping satisfactory and sometimes get unsatisfactory and often seem to discriminate against military kids - not all of them but a large chunk of them. Also our older kids tend to be transported some miles to the 'local' school. Many parent are dissatisfied with the schools we have to send our children to, in fact many, like me, pay over the odds to have them attend out of catchment schools, or we send our children away to boarding schools at huge expense and great emotional loss. So I would say the majority that I know of would not want their kids in school institutions for longer hours than is strictly necessary. Most people I come across would much prefer investment in family day care for those extended hours. Family based daycare means more intimate ratios, a more family feel and a good and true knowledge of the kids and the family circumstance - which is true of any lifestyle - so the children are better supported while their parents are unavailable outside of usual core hours. I will put the question up on a couple of forums for you and get a truer picture if you like though.[/QUOTE]

That would be great - thank you

Penny

[pinkrabbit]

I'm in Oxfordshire and about 15 years ago looked after a baby from 6pm till 8.30 pm. Mum was aerobics instructor and Dad collected when he got back from London. Only did it till baby was about 1year old then mum got a babysitter who put baby to bed in own bed. Have been asked to work weekends twice in 20 years of minding and turned down both. Weekends are family time for me.

[PixiePetal]

in 18 years i have never worked outside of 7.45am - 6.30pm, usually less

14 years ago i did mind a girl whose parents split up and dad worked away a lot . Mum sometimes had meetings in London so would not get back till after 10pm - on those nights mindee stayed over to keep a bedtime routine. It fitted well with my own kids at the time as she was between them in age and I just worked as normal next day - after mum had phoned for a chat was only occasional - every few weeks

[jackie 7]

I am open 7.45 to 6.00 but I have been asked to start at 6.45 during the olympics, just 2 days a week as mother has been told to come in early. She won't be paid more and as she kept the child with me when the fater was out of work i will do it, I know i should charge more but mother won't get more money so I want to help her out. I would work later if needed but not every night.

[mum24]

Sorry, I have only just seen this.
Hope I am not too late with this reply.
Yes I work extended hours regularly, two of my clients are G.P.s and are regularly on call, so though they know the dates in advance, they cannot actually give me a definite time when they will collect.
Also I have from time to time worked at the weekend, though I don't normally, to cover for one of my clients who occasionally is called out to cover at work on a Saturday.
I had one other who about once a month had to travel up to Yorkshire by train (I am near London) and because of the unreliability of train connections etc she could sometimes be very late - once afer 9pm,
I usually work 7.30 to 6.30 every day.

[Bear23]

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!

I'm in cheshire also, and i reguraly work till 8 pm for two nurses. The children are older tho.