Emergency childcare provision withdrawn for ‘no-shows’

Future emergency childcare provision will be withdrawn for families who reserve places but don’t attend.

 

The move comes after a significant number of children did not attend the emergency childcare hubs over the bank holiday weekend despite families having booked onto it, resulting in staff being sent home.

While we know the vast majority of families using the hubs are very appreciative of the childcare, we need to be kept informed if a place is no longer needed once it has been booked. It’s very frustrating when some staff have left their own families to travel quite some distance to provide the necessary support on a volunteer basis.

It also costs around £50 per child per day in day care settings if a child does not turn up when a place has been booked by their parents.

We are obviously mindful of the current situation and the need for some parents to change plans quickly at short notice but it’s important we are made aware of cancellations as soon as possible. In future, we will be sending a letter to anyone who does not attend having booked a place – and not informed us they no longer need it – advising them that if it happens again, emergency childcare support will be withdrawn.

The council’s cabinet member for education and regeneration Charles Smith

Thousands of places have been taken at the six emergency key worker childcare hubs since the start of the Covid-19 lockdown – with hundreds of staff volunteering to work shifts, providing care and support.

The six emergency childcare hubs are based at Maesteg School, Brynmenyn Primary School, Maes Yr Haul Primary School, Coety Primary School, Pencoed Primary School and West Park Primary School.

The hubs - open from 8am to 6pm – are currently in their eighth week of operation with the majority of children aged between 4 and 11 years-old.