The next school holidays are fast approaching and if you have younger school age children you may need to find extra care for them whilst you are working. Short of relying on friends, neighbours or family, vacation care programs may help fill the gap to keep them safely occupied while you are at work. Here is an overview of vacation care providers and some suggestions for alternative options for holiday care.

Home alone
All parents and carers are at some stage faced with the dilemma of whether to leave their children home alone. With the school holidays fast approaching this question is even more pressing for working carers. To help carers consider the issues surrounding this important decision we are reproducing an article from the parents winter school holiday kit Home Alone provided by the NSW Department of Community Services.

School holidays often pose problems for working carers who have school aged children. Finding suitable care and activities, especially for younger children, when you have to work is not always easy. In this article we outline a flexible leave option that allows parents to take extra leave in the school holidays and note the financial implications of this decision.
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When care for the carers starts to mean more than words
My name is Cathy Harnack, I am 56 and I have been a carer for my husband for over ten years as he has progressed from moderate to advanced Parkinson’s disease. In July 2004 I also became the primary carer for my father who has severe heart failure, hearing loss and prostate problems.  I am a full time worker, a teacher at a secondary school with a distance education sector.
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