Survey responses also show that:
• The biggest challenges to achieving satisfactory childcare are cost and availability – especially ‘out of hours’ care.
• Ideally, 75% want to provide their own childcare but only 23% achieve that. • Nearly 50% need childcare for the full working day but a significant 10% need it for 10hrs or more a day.
• 75% do not have access to extended family to help with childcare. • Many have difficulty finding provision for school age children during the school holidays. • Many serving overseas face similar or greater problems as their UK colleagues. • Less than half of respondents are making use of the Child Care Voucher Scheme – Why?
We were struck by the number of comments received about:
• What are seen as inflexible arrangements offered by some on-base nurseries. • How many families are feeling disadvantaged in finding childcare to cover unusual/shift hours, weekend working and for deployed spouses and partners. This is especially true of dual- serving parents.
• The number of families managing a cocktail of childcare arrangements. • How older children often fall into a ‘childcare gap’. • The number of comments received about spouses either unable to work because of childcare cost/availability, or having to limit their working arrangements, and the knock on effect on their CVs and careers.
• The inability of many to access a range of childcare options, due to the location of SFA. Many RAF families residing in SFA in a remote location, often with poor transport links, have no choice about the childcare they are able to access.
• Mobility increases the likelihood of families being placed on (often lengthy) waiting lists for childcare.
• Line managers failing to address (or even be seen to care) about basic childcare challenges their staff often face.
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www.raf-ff.org.uk
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