[*Lib*]

I work full time, as does my husband. My sister and I work together, so one of us does drop off and one does pick up both during the school term, and during holidays.

As much as I'd love to take the school holidays off, I can't, so we rely on vacation care.

Its about $55 per day, and we get the 50% rebate. In total between us we have 3 kids.

The childcare center has been good, but lately the staff are complaining and leaving in drives so I would love an alternate idea. So what do you do?

Do you think a Nanny would be worth while? I thought of asking one of the daycare girls if they would be interested for $300 a child/week, but I guess they'll move on and get other jobs.

So help please!!!! I'd really like for them to get a chance to just hang on the school holidays, get up when they feel like it, just get some rest, but at the moment its just like a school term and the kids never seem to get a rest.

We tried the local PCYC, but they hated that. Some child lost it and the police had to be called after she started tearing at her sisters hair! The children are terrified of going back there!

[FrogIsAFrogIsAFr...]

Lib, we mix it up. A nanny would be good if you can find one just for hols.

When I don't have leave, I take a day off in the hols and become my own vacation care provider, in that I have a couple of kids over. I then have the favour returned on another day! I know some aren't comfortable asking, but I am and don't mind helping out/ bring helped out.

I also ask MIL to take the kids for one day.

I do use vac care for 2 days a week usually, based on activities the kids will enjoy (always excursion days).

DH also takes RDOs.

[MissingInAction]

Staff leaving in droves from a CC service can mean one of two things, in my experience.

1. They're all unhappy as they're not being treated well or they know something the parents don't (eg: the service is shutting down soon or losing families in droves and cutting back their hours, etc)

OR

2. Their boss is trying to get them to try something new (ie; get with the times) and they don't like it, they're stuck in their old ways and don't want to change... so they'll leave.

Or i suppose, 3: Maybe they're all students (seeing as it's vac care) and now they're either going back to uni, or have just graduated and will be requiring FT work.

This post has been edited by MiaMoo86: 21/01/2013, 10:34 AM

[*Lib*]

Staff leaving in droves from a CC service can mean one of two things, in my experience.

1. They're all unhappy as they're not being treated well or they know something the parents don't (eg: the service is shutting down soon or losing families in droves and cutting back their hours, etc)

They have a new director, she's pretty strict on them I think. They really don't like her. The kids don't' seem affected by it, but I still would rather they get some down time instead of being rushed around on the holidays.

Unfortunately the nature of my job requires continuity so I can't just take a regular Monday off, or that would be perfect.

[-*meh*-]

i use vacation care... i have no choice.

thankfully as a single parent i am on a high CCR so for the two boys it costs me about $10ish a day.

[IVL]

I am not sure what hours you will require but if it is fulltime $300 is really on the low side. We pay our nanny $26 per hour but she is qualified, we then pay super, tax, insurance etc on top of that. We have her around 50 hours per week at the moment. Even for an unqualifed casual arrangement the lowest I have seen advertised has been about $18 per hour, that is usually for up to 3 children.

There are always loads of babysitters/nannies advertising on the find a babysitter website that are often uni students looking for some pocket money during the holidays, you may be lucky enough to find one that will be available for the longer term.

Good grief, your childrens experience as their last last PYC care sounds horrible. I can understand why they and you would be so reluctant to attend another. I hope an appropriate complaint was made and followed up.

[kpingitquiet]

I think I'd probably go the university student route. I did a lot of teacher-workday/summer-vacation babysitting when I was higher up in high school and I also remember most of my babysitters being 12th grade or uni students on breaks. I imagine you might be able to find one who is working on ECE at school.

[Jane Jetson]

We mix it up, we have to - the school's Vacation Care provider offers a grand total of four days out of this long holiday. DD1 is doing all four. My PIL have been a godsend and taken DD1 for a couple of days a week, I've worked from home a couple of days a week with her "helping" me, and occasionally DH will take her to work where she can watch movies for the day (not ideal). We also take some time off during holidays where we can, as we feel it's important for kids to get to mooch around the house doing nothing much.

Re this:

2. Their boss is trying to get them to try something new (ie; get with the times) and they don't like it, they're stuck in their old ways and don't want to change... so they'll leave.

We very much found this with our LDC a few years ago, about eight months after DD1 started there. A whole lot of people left, and we were worried, but it turned out that higher standards were being put into place. It went from good to fantastic. The good people stayed, though a few did leave recently when the new standards came in (they were great carers who were older and who had been doing it for years, but didn't want to get qualified).

[*Lib*]

I am not sure what hours you will require but if it is fulltime $300 is really on the low side. We pay our nanny $26 per hour but she is qualified, we then pay super, tax, insurance etc on top of that. We have her around 50 hours per week at the moment. Even for an unqualifed casual arrangement the lowest I have seen advertised has been about $18 per hour, that is usually for up to 3 children.

There are always loads of babysitters/nannies advertising on the find a babysitter website that are often uni students looking for some pocket money during the holidays, you may be lucky enough to find one that will be available for the longer term.

Good grief, your childrens experience as their last last PYC care sounds horrible. I can understand why they and you would be so reluctant to attend another. I hope an appropriate complaint was made and followed up.

That would be $300 each, so $900 a week.

[*Lib*]

We very much found this with our LDC a few years ago, about eight months after DD1 started there. A whole lot of people left, and we were worried, but it turned out that higher standards were being put into place. It went from good to fantastic. The good people stayed, though a few did leave recently when the new standards came in (they were great carers who were older and who had been doing it for years, but didn't want to get qualified).

Thats what I was thinking!! They could do with a tidy up and some more experienced carers, so I dont see it as definitely a bad thing!