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going back to work
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Posted by: Mari Love. Reply: Moderator. Reply: Sophie. Reply: Moderator. Reply: tinkerbell.
Mari Love: I am a lone parent with a beautiful son of 8 with autism. I can fully associate with parents who would like to work but cannot find suitable childcare. I have rung every childminder on the list which our local authority advised me to. unfortunately all of them claimed that they are not qualified to work with autistic children. My days are now spent dropping my son of to school, cooking, shopping and cleaning. Is this what I have to look forward to for the rest of my life? I have now lost my confidence after all these years of being out of the job market.
Moderator: Hi Mari, it might be worthwhile to contact your New Deal for Lone Parents Adviser at your local Jobcentre Plus office (details in your local telephone directory), who can help, among other things, you to find any suitable childcare. For more information about the help available through the New Deal for Lone Parents see our Help with moving into work factsheet in the lone parents section of this website.
Sophie: Hi Mari, there is a Childcare Act of parliament which comes into force in March 2008 - every local authority will have a duty to provide childcare for children aged 0 - 14 for all children & 0 - 18 for children with disabilities. Please ask your Childcare Information Officer - every authority has one - do not be put off by the pfoffesionals a lot of them do not understand the new responsibilities. The govt is particularly targetting single parents, families with disabled children & ethnic minority families. Sophie.
Moderator: Thanks Sophie for alerting forum-users to the new law. I just wanted to add that this applies to England from April 2008 (in Wales, the Welsh Assembly is responsible for childcare) and the local authorities have a duty to secure childcare (for working and some other parents) 'so far as is reasonably practicable' that is, it is not a guarantee. However, they must do everything they can and as Sophie says, do not be put off insisting on your child's rights. Anyone who has problems accessing childcare from April should get independent advice.
tinkerbell: I can't help feeling perturbed by the degree to which my recent reality check differs so drastically to what I thought were recent advances under the law. As a one-parent family for 7 years, with both kids at the same school, I thought things were ok. A new teacher somes in and the whole system goes to pot...which no recourse to any help, I'm left to battle (literally) with the whole profession in order to support my daughter. I've ended up moving thier schools and feeling totally persecuted - why? Because of one teacher and an professional system that supports its own... especially against a single mum. I won;t get back to work, the professions are too full of dual parent types who would really not be tainted.
If anyone can paint a different - real life, not dual parent government rhetoric - picture I'd be glad to hear it.
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