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Wraparound childcare or wraparound care is a flexible way to support families with children of primary-school age, by offering childcare before and after school time. This can include breakfast or before-school clubs and after-school programs and activity clubs. Attending wraparound childcare can provide young children with more chances to develop their knowledge and social skills.
It’s worth mentioning that wraparound care can also include holiday childcare. These services run during school holidays. The main goal of holiday wraparound care is to keep kids engaged and entertained during these times off from school, either for entertainment or to allow parents to work.
Sometimes wraparound childcare supports the needs of families with children with complex needs.
Despite wraparound childcare not being a legal obligation is schools in the UK, many do choose to provide it due to a high demand.
In most cases, wraparound services come with a daily fee, but there are voluntary, charity-run or subsidised options too.
Wraparound Services in UK Schools
As we mentioned earlier, schools currently don’t have any legal obligation to provide wraparound childcare in the UK. We are lucky that so many of them do.
Breakfast clubs and after-school clubs are the most popular for relieving pressure on busy parents, while presenting further learning and social opportunities for kids.
If you’re looking to organise your wraparound services effectively, we at Kids Club HQ can help! We offer admin solutions whilst you focus on running your club. Whether you’re looking to automate your invoicing, track payments more effectively, or make the booking process easier for all, we’ll take care of it. Let us show you with a free demo!
Voluntary Childcare Settings
A 2019 study found that over one-third of childcare and early years services in England were run on a voluntary basis. But the demand for voluntary childcare has only grown, especially as parents head back to the office post COVID-19 pandemic. Voluntary settings are more important than ever.
However, one downside of voluntary childcare is the high turnover rate of volunteers, which can really affect the kids in care. A lot of the volunteers are parents of the children themselves, and once their child moves on from preschool, they’re less likely to stick around.
Another challenge is that volunteering in childcare can be really demanding, especially for those without formal training. Many volunteers may leave to pursue full-time studies or other roles.
So, if you’re looking for childcare or thinking of running a childcare service, it’s important to keep an eye on volunteer (and staff) turnover. It makes a big difference!
Running childcare and early years services can be tough enough without dealing with a clunky admin system. That’s where Kids Club HQ comes in—helping you take the hassle out of after-school admin with features like online bookings, live registers and frequent income reports. A reminder that you can test for yourself with our 14-day free trial here.
Wraparound Service Specialists
Expanding on our discussion of volunteers vs. paid staff, the ideal scenario is one where wraparound care specialists look after your child. A wraparound care specialist is a childcare professional with plenty of experience, and generally suitable qualifications.
A wraparound service specialist may have:
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BA, Diploma, Foundation Degree, or HND in Early Childhood Studies.
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Specialist qualification in Basic Play.
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Specialist qualification in Youthwork.
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Foundation Degree in Early Years.
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NVQ Level 5 in Early Years Care and Education.
It’s worth checking out the website of any given wraparound service to see if their staff have specialist qualifications. Otherwise, you could always ask by email or phone.
Benefits of Wraparound Childcare
Advantages for the child:
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Wraparound care helps kids develop social skills, character, and confidence, especially for those with specific needs.
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For disadvantaged children, attending after-school services is linked to better KS2 assessments in English, Maths, and Science.
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It is said that children who participate in after school clubs and organised sports gain stronger social skills.
Get kids ready for the school day:
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Breakfast clubs ensure kids are well-fed and ready for the day, especially crucial for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
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Morning clubs also allow kids to socialise before class, helping to reduce distractions later.
A much needed service for many parents:
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24% of parents couldn’t work without wraparound care according to YouGov, increasing to 1 in 3 women.
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1 in 3 parents would need to cut work hours without wraparound care.
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9 in 10 UK schools agree that wraparound care is essential for supporting working parents.
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Military families get up to 20 free hours of wraparound care for children aged 4-11 through the UK’s Wraparound Childcare (WAC) scheme.
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Working Tax Credit (WTC) can help cover up to 70% of childcare costs, with caps at £175/week for one child or £300/week for two+ children.
Schools benefit too:
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Schools can earn additional income by providing wraparound care, even if using an outsourced provider (see below).
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After-school clubs offer kids access to new activities like arts, crafts, and sports
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Wraparound care helps introduce exciting activities that complement regular school work (e.g., coding basics, colouring).
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Physical exercise as part of wraparound care boosts mental well-being—reducing anxiety, raising self-esteem, and improving social interaction.
Increased revenue is just one way that schools may benefit from wraparound childcare. An after school club could introduce children to activities they may not get a chance to try during the regular school day. These after school activities tend to fall under the categories of arts, crafts, and sports.
Another advantage of after school services is that it can lead to happier and more active students. Exercise, which providers often offer as part of wraparound childcare, can be very beneficial for children’s mental well-being. Examples may include reduced anxiety, higher self-esteem, and enhanced social interaction. Of course, children’s physical health can benefit greatly from exercise too.
In many cases, schools may find it easier to outsource wraparound childcare, so that they can focus on their core objectives while benefiting from wraparound care provision.
Outsourcing wraparound care
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Schools can outsource wraparound care to private providers, so that they can focus on their main objectives while still benefiting from an after-school club.
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Outsourcing allows schools to provide these services without needing extra resources, while still earning revenue.
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Specialist support must be appropriately qualified and trained.
Kids Club HQ is a Helping Hand to Wraparound Childcare Providers
Our Kids Club HQ values lie parallel with wraparound care. We believe in putting family above all else, maintaining our morals in business while providing outstanding work that helps people help children. Join our online platform to discover how you can use our system to help manage your wraparound childcare services.