How do you balance childcare during the half-term break?

When the school bell rings for half-term it signals a break for teens and children, however, for many working parents it can mark the start of an all too familiar scramble to organise childcare.

For some, that means using annual leave, relying on family members or turning to childminders.

With different school schedules and rising costs, finding a solution which works for both parents and their children can be challenging.

About 348,000 pupils were enrolled at primary and secondary schools in Northern Ireland in the 2024/25 academic year, meaning many families are navigating the same balancing act.

Heather Steele usually spends her mornings commuting from her home in Dungannon to her job in Armagh - but this week she found herself using annual leave to cover childcare during the half-term break.

Her eldest is off for the full week, while her two younger children have only three days off, adding to the challenge of juggling childcare.

"If they were all off at the same time, it would probably help, I'd have less juggling to do, maybe I wouldn't have to take as many holidays," she said.

Pregnant Then Screwed is a campaign group which supports the rights of pregnant women and new mothers.

Its chief executive, Rachel Grocott, said there is "no job in the world that offers the amount of paid holidays that a parent would need to cover all school holidays".

According to the most recent NI Childcare Survey Report from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, the median childcare fee (for 1-41+ hours per week) is £225 per month per child.

Natasha Nelson, a Belfast based childminder, said half-term breaks are a busy period and require extra activities and planning.

She said while she generally works on a contract basis, ad-hoc or full-day bookings during school holidays can work out more expensive for parents.

"Before I did childminding I had to make sure my provider had the availability or take annual leave to look after my children," Nelson said.

She added that while most parents give plenty of notice, she has had requests with as little as one day's notice, and that not being able to secure childcare can be stressful for families.

Schools across the UK are generally required to provide 190 days of teaching pupils per year, as well as five teacher training days.

Unlike the rest of the UK, where term dates are set by councils or individual schools, Northern Ireland operates on a more centralised system.

Here, the Department of Education (DE) sets the main school holiday dates for the year.

Schools, both primary and secondary, can then choose a small number of additional training or optional days, which means their exact term breaks may not always match.

Chris Donnelly, the principal of St John the Baptist Primary School in west Belfast, said when schools decide to take their additional days are typically decided between principals and the board of governors.

"The most important thing is for schools to provide parents with proper notice about when they plan to close," he said.

"That way parents can make any arrangements they need to or plan for their holidays."