confused about after school care

[blackdog]

I am currently job hunting, but have never used paid childcare before.

I have been told that the after school care program at the school is full, so what are the other options and are they more expensive?

Do childcare centres and/or family daycare mums pick the kids up from school?

I wonder if there would be any way in the world my daughter could still go to ballet lessons on Mondays after school if I have to work that day?

I am so clueless I don't even know where to start.

I am also very confused about CCB and CCR....none of the examples online seem to fit us.

[WorkingClassMum]

CCB - is the Child Care benefit that is paid to the child-care provider and is based on your income and number of hours that you work

CCR - is the Child Care Rebate that is claimed with your tax return and is 1/3 of you out of pocket child care costs

Other options would be Family Based Day Care and the pickup etc arrangements are made direct with the child-care provider. The actual care is organised through your local council. It is more expensive that OSHC (in my experience)

Some employers will arrange/advertise part-time hours to suit a mother of school aged children - ie 9 - 3 etc, or 3 days pw

Good Luck with the job hunting

[Amberlea]

Normal childcare centres only take kids up until school age, generally they dont provide care once they have gone to school as they mainly run kindy programs etc.

You may find a couple of government run ones that would accept school ages - but it is doubtful that they would pick children up from school.

Family daycare would be a good option - cheaper than childcare and the worker would more than likely be able to pick your daughter up from school.

Only other options I can think of are nannys - they will quite often do the couple of hours after school and prepare dinner etc.

[blackdog]

Thanks. I am finding out about Family Day Care. A Nanny would be way too expensive! I would only be on minimum wage myself....shop girl or secretary.

I only thought childcare centres provided for school kids as well because I was convinced a childcare centre bus picks kids up from the front of the school...but maybe it's only the preps.

Actually, you've just reminded me....I do know someone whose kids go to after school care at a centre. I'll ask them.:D

[Amberlea]

Even funnier - I just realised this is in the QLD section and I used to live there and remember seeing childcare buses picking kids up from school too lol :D

They dont do that down here lol at least not that Im aware of.

[mum2kahleila]

hi where abouts do you live,:)

[MummaBear03]

Centre bsed after school care is really poor. I have yet to find a centre that truly caters to children over about 7 or 8 years of age. Lower primary aged children are still happy doing things that are meant for preschoolers, along with things like colouring in and dancing to music and so on, but upper primary, say year 4+, those kids don't have anything age appropriate.

Centre-based school age care pick up from school and take them to the centre, they don't cater to any other activities or drop kids off at sports and so on.

School based after school care can take children to sports if it's on the same block, walking distance without having to cross roads, and only if staffing permits. I worked at one school where they took children to and from soccer but another school said no to it as they couldn't spare the staff. However school based after school cater to the needs of those children far better.

Family day care providers may take children to after school activities but may not, depending on the carer. There's nothing to say they can't, it's just up to individual carers. They are unable to drop and run, and if they have other children that are younger they may not want to have them there for an hour or so, but maybe they are willing to try it.

Good luck in your research, it's pretty tough isn't it. I'm lucky to have only half an hour max of after school care to worry about next year! I'm booking her in anyway so I know she's not out the front waiting even if there is a teacher on duty out there. I will finish work at 3pm and she'll finish school at 2:45pm so it would take until 3:15 or so to get to her. Can you find a school hours job maybe, or one that would finish up before any after school activities? It's hard I know.

Oh, you may find that school based care is cheaper! I'll be paying $5 a day (before CCB) to use it for that time, only because she won't be there for afternoon tea or craft activities, they just have puzzles and board games out at that time so she's not going to be using anything really. So long as they are picked up prior to 3:30 it only costs parents $5 and $15 for the whole afternoon (again before CCB) so it's worth looking into.

[blackdog]

Hi All. Well, as it turns out, beggars can't be choosers around here! I have found a centre that could take them, and picks them up from school, but they are pretty pathetic admin-wise, and I can't say I would leave pre-schoolers there. Lucky my kids are pretty self-suffcient. The centre is a converted old queenslander, with a huge back yard and heaps of play equipment. They also have a computer room and the biggest TV I have ever seen in my life. The girls that work there are all very genuine, but very young, and like I said, the admin is pathetic. I am thinking of getting my older one a mobile phone.:confused:

I only wish it was $5! I pay $15 per day per child, and the afterschool care at the school is the same. Vacation care is $30 per day per child, so on school holidays I will virtually be working for free!:(

[MummaBear03]

Hi All. Well, as it turns out, beggars can't be choosers around here! I have found a centre that could take them, and picks them up from school, but they are pretty pathetic admin-wise, and I can't say I would leave pre-schoolers there. Lucky my kids are pretty self-suffcient. The centre is a converted old queenslander, with a huge back yard and heaps of play equipment. They also have a computer room and the biggest TV I have ever seen in my life. The girls that work there are all very genuine, but very young, and like I said, the admin is pathetic. I am thinking of getting my older one a mobile phone.:confused:

I only wish it was $5! I pay $15 per day per child, and the afterschool care at the school is the same. Vacation care is $30 per day per child, so on school holidays I will virtually be working for free!:(

The fees where my daughter will go are $15 per child, and $40 per child over the vacation care period, but for parents who collect their child before afternoon tea time at 3:30 it's only $5 because they don't use the resources or have any of the food. It's school-based so they don't need to be picked up on buses either which makes a huge difference, no cost of buses. Vacation care is more expensive than other places though because they absorb the cost of many activities except trips to Reef HQ or Billabong Sanctuary but I won't need it for school holidays and we have membership at both those places anyway. Where I'm working the children are picked up from school and dropped straight home, and the parents are paying the full amount. I often wonder why they do that when it would be far cheaper to get a taxi.

[mum23girls]

:wave: Have you tried the family day care?

Their office is on Alice street at Goodna - they are called South east ipswich & springfield communities... their number is 38181129. They were really helpful when I was looking...

There is also a new centre opening up at Collingwood Park, just near the Redbank shopping centre - Kindy Kapers.

Another option is to contact another OSHC based at another school and see if they take children from other schools for holiday care. My girls go to Collingwood Park SS and their carers there are all nice. If you want the number, PM me and I will give it to you.

You will get back 30% of your out of pocket CC fees up until 30 July, and then it goes up to 50% for this coming financial year.

The CCB is a percentage that you are entitaled to if your income is under a certain amount. If you get family tax benefit you should be entitaled to it. Best to give family assistance office a call to see if you are eligable.