Wraparound Childcare

[Guest]

I was rather alarmed today to see a front page ad in the local freebie for a new nursery to be opening shortly. The opening hours are 5am to 11pm! The nursery is to open 7 days a week 52 weeks of the year...

[Susan]

Poor children and poor parents that there should be such a need.

[aliamch]

It's frightening but there might be a need for it. When I had my eldest child I worked for Royal Mail and when I returned to work I had to return on the early shift which started at 06.18. As my husband worked the same shift this meant we had to drop Ali of at my mum's at about 05.30 and then collected her at about 14.30. It wasn't ideal but I needed the job. We had to do this for just over a year until I went on maternity leave for number 2. Personally I wouldn't want to be collecting my baby/child from anywhere after 8pm on a regular basis but the early morning starts I can sympathise with and Ali used to stay asleep to whole time!

Karrie

[Guest]

When I was a childminder 8 years a go I cared for two children who were dropped off at 5 am every morning I then took them to school, I looked after them for 3 years with this pattern i must admit I used to feel so sorry for them they would arrive half asleep, my only comfort was that I made them feel so welcome and covered them with blankets, made beds, lit the fire, and tried to make it home from home, it sort of goes against everything I believe but the positive is they are 16 and 18yrs now and still visit me regularly and we talk about all the funny things they have become really good friends, so I suppose I done my bit let's hope the nursery staff at that setting are really caring.

My new job is at a nursery open from 8.30 - 6.30 I am used to 3 hour sessional settings so this is quite a shock, some of the children who are full time are sooo cuddly and looking for lots of love, it is attached to a private boarding school so this is the life they have to adjust to!?

Edited April 23, 2007 by Guest

[Guest Wolfie]

At first glance it does seem completely horrifying but aliamch does make a very good point about meeting the needs of shift workers and it may mean that individual families have another childcare option that suits them better than anything else they can do at the moment.

[Running Bunny]

You would hope that Ofsted would put a limit on the length of time each child could stay in the setting as part of their registration certificate i.e. no longer than 10 hours a day or no more than 50 hours in a week (based on 8am-6pm, 5 days a week)

 

Like others have said, on the face of it, it looks shocking, but if they have done their market research and there is a demand for 'out of hours' then you have to applaud them for capturing the market - as long as they have measures in place to support the children through sleeping arrangements and ensuring their overall wellbeing.

[Guest Wolfie]

Yes - you have to hope and pray that the provision will be of high quality don't you?

[Guest]

A nursery near me open early and close late to cater for hospital staff. They then run a babysitting service out of hours. The children do not have to stay for the entire session, instead it is done hourly, to cater for parents needs.

 

Can't see myself wanting to do those hours, but the owner has obviously seen a gap in the market and is out to cash in on it.

 

Have a sneaky look round when it's opened and let us know!!

[belle06]

My setting used to open 7.30 until 9pm as we are attached to a college that does night classes. This was fine the only issue I had was with there been nothing down on paper or legally to stop a parent booking a child in from 7.30 until 9pm. I also feel that staff pay should also reflect the unsociable hours lets hope they do!!

[beth1]

This had me thinking, so how many staff would they go trough in a day. The poor children wouldn't know whos whos and when they come and go. It could be a little confusing to the little ones.

 

 

Beth

[Guest Wolfie]

Well let's hope that issues such as staffing, keyworkers, partnership with parents, etc.etc. have been thought through thoroughly (gosh, that's a funny phrase to type!) and that effective systems and procedures, with the needs of the individual child paramont in everyone's minds.

 

The thought of having to wake a child up in time to get them to nursery for 5am is just mind boggling isn't it? But hey, every family is different and functions differently - the service that this nursery is going to provide may be an absolute lifesaver to some.

[Guest]

I wouldn't fancy being the manager there!

[Guest]

Just thought I would add the mother of the children I looked after mentioned me at her wedding, she said she couldn't of got through things without her childminder! (to which I went really red). I feel I didn't mention in my post how grateful she was, and it was a job that helped her get back on her feet after a nasty divorce (from the children's father) leading to her meeting a wonderful man who she is still with, we are all different and have different circumstances I guess the other comments made are right and reminded me we shouldn't judge how other people live but respect our differences.

Edited April 24, 2007 by Guest

[alis2son]

I know of somewhere in my area who provide overnight care, and this must be a help for carers, flight attendants and hospital workers etc... and i do know some of the people that work there, and im confident in there ability.

 

I guess the way they are set up is important, and there are parents who need that additional support, its nice that someone out there has considered and responded to this need.

 

Although, im glad that we dont do overnights, my favourite part of caring for children, is the knowledge that they do go home at the end of the day ! Some more than others !