We know after the last few months of “The Beast from the East” that you probably have not even thought about the kids' summer holidays! If you hadn’t realised the clocks have gone forward.
Organising childcare for the school holidays is a military operation. Do you use a child care provider or rope in the grandparents and wider family? Ensuring the little ones are covered for working parents is a logistical nightmare and this can be even harder when parents are separated.
How you organise your school holiday child care can very much depend on the arrangements you have in place week-to-week for your children to spend time with each parent. This can be further complicated if you or your former partner have children from another relationship, or their partner has children. Trying to make arrangements that fit in with everyone’s work and social plans can be a mine field and so planning early really can avoid disappointment and conflict.
If you are the parent with whom the children live most of the time, then make an early approach to your former partner about what amount of time they would like to spend with the children in the holidays. Unfortunately, although school holidays are usually shared between parents, in reality the parent who spends the most time caring for the children, ends up picking up the slack if the other parent cannot have the children during a period in the school holidays. If you find out early enough then you can plan around the other parent and make sure you have the cover. Being let down when you presumed the other parent was spending time with the children only leads to conflict.
There is also the issue of childcare fees for the holidays and who is responsible? There is no hard and fast rule here, unless a court has ordered who is responsible for what payments. In reality, if the child is in your care and you need to use a childcare provider when you are at work, then the cost of that childcare is your responsibility. This probably does not seem fair if both parents are working and one parent has the children with them the majority of the holidays, but unfortunately unless a decision has been made by a court about school holidays then this is usually the reality for many working parents.
If you are planning to take the children abroad this year, then be aware that you need the other parent's consent to take the children out of the UK. If the other parent does not agree to you taking the children abroad then you should act now and gain their consent or make an application to the court for an order allowing you to take the children abroad. As a precaution, we recommend to our client’s that you take with you to the airport a letter from the other parent confirming their consent and a copy of their passport photo page should there be any issue at the UK border patrol.
The most important advice is be practical, the summer holidays are six weeks long, it’s the only time of the year we see any real sunshine, spend more time with our loved ones and can sit in our gardens without getting sodden. If you plan the arrangements now, then you can sit back relax, raise a glass and enjoy those long summer days safe in the knowledge that you have your arrangements finalised.
For further information or advice please contact Alison Gaddes at [email protected]
