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Juggling Work and Childcare

 

JUGGLING WORK AND CHILDCARE
 
Though many studies show that good quality early education and childcare provision can substantially improve your child's development, behaviour and learning, finding and securing the right childcare can be a real challenge for working parents. Read our informed guide on how to find childcare that will meet your needs as well as those of your child.
 
 
 
Ensuring High Standards
 
To offer an early years or childcare service in Scotland, the provider has to be registered with the Care Commission. They carry out their own set of inspections every year to ensure that appropriate health, safety and quality standards are being both met and maintained.  Assessment is done on all aspects of child care – from the physical premises in which care is provided to the suitability and qualifications of the careworkers.
 
Day Nurseries
 
Nurseries can be located in separate premises or can be part of a workplace.  They vary in size but most take between 25 and 40 children.  They’re run by teams of qualified staff and days are generally structured around play, learning new skills, preparing for school and gaining wider social skills. Generally children are grouped together according to their age and activities generally follow the Government-approved early years curriculum. Private and state-run nurseries are available, with private nurseries more likely to offer extended opening hours. Community nurseries are run on a not-for-profit basis for local families and fees can be lower than private nurseries. Local authority nurseries usually cater for families who need support and places may be free. All nurseries are regulated and are subject to annual inspection. Some private nurseries now offer a web-cam facility so that it’s possible to see how your child is doing throughout the day.
For more information on nurseries visit www.childcarelink.gov.uk
Your local phonebook will also list local day nurseries.
 
Childminders  
This type of care takes place in the childminder’s own home. Again it’s an opportunity for a child to widen his/her social skills (childminders generally look after a few children) and to take part in activities which are fun and enhance learning. Many childminders make use of wider community facilities such as toddler groups, parks, playgrounds and toy libraries. When they register childminders are checked for training, references, police record and health. Their home is also checked to make sure it’s safe and suitable for children. After registration childminders are re-checked every one to three years.
To find a suitable childminder, visit the website of the Scottish Childminding Association – www.childminding.org
 
Playgroups
 
Playgroups offer structured play and education sessions. They may be run in partnership with your local authority so that free, part-time pre-school education can be offered to all or most three and four year olds.
 
Out of School Clubs
 
These clubs are offered outside of normal school hours and are designed to provide care for school-age children once the school day has finished but office hours haven’t. They’re run by teams of playworkers, around half of whom will be professionally trained. After school care is usually offered from 3.30 to 6pm. Many out of school clubs also offer a Breakfast Club so that children can be dropped off before school and have breakfast together while their parents go off to work.   Clubs are usually based either in the schools themselves or in separate premises nearby. Out of School clubs offer children the opportunity to play, learn and take part in fun group activities.  Playworkers will often collect children from school and escort them to the Club (if in separate premises). 
These clubs are idea to bridge those difficult gaps between school hours and office hours. However the age range is considerable and these clubs can be a little overwhelming for timid or shy children. Care can also be expensive. 
A holiday playscheme may also be offered to offer childcare during school holidays. This tends to involve participation in a range of structured fun activities e.g. crafts, sport, music and going out for the day.  
 Out of school clubs need to be registered with the Care Commission if they offer care for more than two hours per day/more than six days per year.
 
Grandparents or family member
 
Many families call upon a family member, particularly a grandparent, to provide childcare. This can seem ideal because the family member is likely to love the child and (if a grandparent) will have experience with children. They may live locally, be flexible about hours, collect from school and be willing to look after a sick child. They may even be comfortable having your child’s friends round to play. However some older relatives may find childcare too physically demanding and they may have hobbies or commitments of their own which their reluctant to give up. They may have different ideas about child rearing or discipline which could cause potentially long-term family rifts.  
 
Childcare Agencies
 
These agencies either supply or introduce parents to a child carer.  Carers will look after children (or young people up to the age of 16) either wholly or mainly in their own homes. It’s entirely possible for parents to enter into a direct arrangement with a carer without the involvement of an agency but in these cases the arrangements are not subject to regulation by the Care Commission.
 
Au Pairs
  
An au pair is usually a young person from overseas who visits on a cultural-exchange programme in order to improve his or her foreign language skills. The au pair lives in your home and will look after children and perhaps do some light household duties. They generally work between 25 and 30 hours per week and will require to have time off to attend language classes. It’s important to agree how many hours you will require the au pair to look after children (e.g. before/after school, a few evenings a week etc.) and you have to bear in mind that someone that young (perhaps as young as 18) isn’t really suitable for full-time, sole-charge child care. It’s important to have some emergency back up should the au pair get into difficulties – not least there may be communication problems due to the language difference!   Au pairs are not registered or regulated – even if they come from an Au Pair agency. However applicants from agencies that are members of the International Au Pair Association (APA) or the Recruitment and Employment Federation (REC) should be reasonably thoroughly vetted.
 
Home Help
 
A home help is someone who normally speaks English as their first language and lives in your house to help look after children and perhaps undertake some light household duties. Home helps work up to a maximum of 45 hours per week, are entitled to a private bedroom and established time off. Home helps do not have to be qualified or registered. Home helps can be recruited by placing an advert in a local paper (always check references) or sourced through an agency. Again, to ensure reasonable vetting, agencies should be members of the APA and REC.  
 
If you need more information on how child care is regulated in Scotland, visit the Care Commission website at: www.carecommission.com
 
Paying for Childcare
 
There are a quite a few different sources of financial support to help pay for childcare. For more detailed advice please contact the organisations referred to below:
Tax Credits
Working Tax Credit
This offers financial help to low-income families.  How much you may receive is dependent on your income and the number of hours worked each week.  There is a childcare element to this which can offset any registered childcare costs.  You need to be over 16 years of age and work for more than 16 hours per week.  Benefit is paid directly to the main carer just like Child Benefit.
Visit www.hmrc.gov.uk for more information.
Child Tax Credit
This offers additional support for around nine out of ten families with children.  The highest rate is paid to families where there are babies under one year.  Again this benefit is paid directly to the main carer.
Visit www.hmrc.gov.uk for more information.
Childcare Vouchers
These vouchers are a result of changes to the tax and National Insurance rules. These changes include exemptions to employers to encourage more of them to help employees meet their childcare needs.  Childcare Vouchers are a way employers can assist. 
For more information visit www.daycaretrust.org.uk
 
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