Surviving the summer holidays!

Fun for all...

After the initial thrill of waving good bye to the classroom for six weeks, it's usually only a few days before the children start complaining about being bored!

Don't despair we've got loads of ideas for you!

The school summer holidays can often be a real headache for parents - trying to find interesting and fun activities for children of different ages which won't end up costing a fortune isn't easy.

Why not check out what's happening at your local sports or arts centre - your local library will have listings of all the council-run activities in your area.

We've also got some suggestions for fun places to go with the whole family across Beds, Herts and Bucks - which won't cost a penny!

• Why don't you in Beds! >
• Why don't you in Herts! >
• Why don't you in Bucks! >

In the meantime, here are some ideas for activities to keep the children occupied which shouldn't break the bank.

Mini Sports Day

If you're not lucky enough to have a big garden, take some basic sports equipment, (balls, skipping ropes, bats and balls, etc) to the local park. The children can then take turns to challenge each other to different games and races. A game of rounders is always a winner with children of all ages!

A DIY Picnic

Preparing for a picnic can be a whole morning's activity in itself! Get the children to plan the menu, help with the shopping and then get all the ingredients ready. Then stand back and be on standby as the children prepare the sandwiches, fetch the fruit and grab the goodies!

Make a Tent

Throw an old sheet or blanket over the washing line and peg it down at the corners to recreate the thrill of being under canvas.

It's Show Time!

Set the kids a theme and send them off to rehearse for their very own show. Junior Pop Idol where they can dress up and sing along to their favourite pop songs is one idea, but the list is endless!

Your Very Own Cinema!

Liven up a boring video by moving the furniture, dimming the lights and making your very own popcorn.

Down on the Farm

Visitor farms are usually good value for money, especially when they have playgrounds and rides to enjoy after you've seen all the animals! Standalone Farm and Woodside Wild Animal Farm are just two of the excellent family farms in this area.

Get Crafty!

Great for a rainy day! Stock up on paper, glue, felt pens and paints. Cover the table and stand back and watch your little darlings at their most creative!

Go for a swim

Why not cool off and spend the day at the local pool - remember to take sunhats and lots of sun cream!

Visit a Museum

All national museums are now free and full of interesting things to see and fun hands-on activities. Most will have special holiday events for children.

Do a 'Changing Rooms'

Help your child give their room a facelift! Clear out old clothes, toys and books. Rearrange the furniture and perhaps put up some posters

New member of the team!

We would like to welcome the newest member of our team, Vicki! Vicki is available to answer any questions or take any bookings on 07749 602892

A BABY who may have infected other children at childcare is now being tested for swine flu.

Tasmanian Director of Public Health Chrissie Pickin says she has ordered tests on the eight-month-old to be completed "as quickly as possible''.

The baby was in childcare when it would have been infectious on Thursday and Friday, Dr Pickin said.

"We are providing advice to the child care centre involved,'' she said.

"As a standard precaution we are advising that any child or staff member who is unwell with a fever and respiratory symptoms should be excluded from attendance until they have fully recovered.''

The baby's test results would hopefully be returned within 24 hours, Dr Pickin said. No one in Australia has tested positive for the virus.

The baby and its parents returned from Canada on April 26.

Meanwhile, a third Australian in Britain, journalist Kate Corbett, has tested positive for the potentially deadly virus, ABC radio reports.

Related Coverage

• Second wave: Flu could strengthen
• WHO ups swine flu alertDaily Telegraph, 5 May 2009
• Swine flu fears for childcare centreNEWS.com.au, 4 May 2009
• Third Aussie has swine fluPerth Now, 4 May 2009
• Chaos as China locks up its MexicansNEWS.com.au, 4 May 2009
• Third Aussie in UK contracts swine fluThe Australian, 4 May 2009

Ms Corbett, 29, earlier tested positive for Influenza A after returning from a trip to Mexico, but had to wait longer to find out if it was the H1N1 strain.

British health authorities have now told her she has the virus.

"They asked me what airline I flew home with, what my flight numbers were and they're going to get in contact with all the people who sat within a metre of me," she said on ABC radio.

Her flatmate, boyfriend and sister were now being tested for the H1N1 virus, ABC said.

Two other Australians in the UK are known to have the virus.

They are a 29-year-old Sydney builder, who moved to the UK from Australia less than a month ago and doesn't want to be named, and fellow Sydney man Mark Robertson, 23.

Plan a Perfect Easter Egg Hunt

Plan an Egg-stra Special Event for Your Kids

By Shandley McMurray

What Easter celebration would be complete without an egg hunt? Whether you’re planning an indoor search for three or an outdoor event for 300, here are a few ideas to help you organize the perfect hunt this year.

After you've gathered all the information on egg hunting, please be sure to check out our great Easter printables, Easter games and activities, Easter Sunday recipes, and of course--Easter crafts.

Use different colors

Color code the eggs according to age, says Judith Manley, a mother of eight and grandmother of eleven, who remembers hunting for eggs with her children in Lewiston, New York. Get two- to four-year-olds looking for blue eggs while those four to six search for green, and so on. “That way the little ones have an equal chance at finding the eggs,” she says.

Make words

Paint a different letter on each egg, says Corinne Williams of Hammonton, New Jersey, a mother of one. Then have the kids create words with the eggs they’ve found. The kid with the most words wins a prize.

Keep a record

Always make a note of how many eggs you’ve used and where they’re hidden. There’s nothing worse than smelling a rotten egg in July or finding melted chocolate under the couch cushions!

Set boundaries

For safety, establish borders when planning an outdoor hunt, suggests Jane Brown, mother of four in Whitby, Ont.. Tell kids to stay between the house and the first maple tree, for instance, or to go no farther than the mailbox. “I forgot one year and the kids were in the woods behind the house for ages,” says Brown. “They came back very upset that they hadn’t found anything.”

Draw a map

Keep things interesting by setting up a treasure hunt for kids, says Brown. Give each child a map using picture clues for non-readers. Cut out a picture of a chair, for instance, or draw a coffee table to show them where the eggs are. Then be a bit sneaky by hiding another map at one of the clues. Use riddles for older kids and lead them to more difficult places, such as a specific novel on the book shelf.

Add a piñata

If you’re using plastic eggs, place them in a piñata once they’ve been found. Have the children take turns hitting it with a plastic bat while blindfolded. The one who finally bursts it open wins something special.

Planning a neighbourhood or church group hunt? Here are a few tips from the organizers of the Guinness World Record holder for the largest Easter egg hunt. More than 1,500 children searched for over 292,000 eggs at this hunt in Rockford Park District in Illinois.

Set a limit

Figure out your maximum number of participants before the hunt and stick to it. Hand out only that number of egg collection bags in the beginning to help keep your hunt under control. Ask a local store to donate the bags—it’s free advertising for them!

Use plastic eggs

Real eggs can crack and it’s time-consuming to cook and dye a huge batch. Instead, choose the plastic variety and ask everyone to return them at the end of the hunt so you can reuse them next year.

Supply good prizes

Every child should get a candy prize for participating. As well, have small prizes such as free ice cream cones, arcade passes or popcorn donated by local shops. For the grand prize, choose something that kids will really love, like a bike or DVD player.

Hide the prize inside

Go for random winners, rather than the children who have the most eggs. Simply place a note inside a certain number of eggs to declare the victors.

Stay safe

Think about your location carefully beforehand, and be aware of hazards such as water and traffic. An open space such as a football field is ideal. Make sure everyone knows where the boundaries of the hunt are, and if you have a large number of kids, have parents be responsible for keeping an eye on them.

The History of Easter

Find this year's date in the multifaith calendar

Semana Santa Easter festival in Seville, Spain ©

Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the most important Christian festival, and the one celebrated with the greatest joy.

The date of Easter changes each year, and several other Christian festivals fix their dates by reference to Easter.

Churches are filled with flowers, and there are special hymns and songs. But not all Easter customs are Christian; some, such as the Easter Bunny, are Pagan in origin.

The Easter story is at the heart of Christianity

On Good Friday, Jesus Christ was executed by crucifixion. His body was taken down from the cross, and buried in a cave.

The tomb was guarded and an enormous stone was put over the entrance, so that no-one could steal the body.

On the following Sunday, some women visited the grave and found that the stone had been moved, and that the tomb was empty.

Jesus himself was seen that day, and for days afterwards by many people. His followers realised that God had raised Jesus from the dead.

	Father's Day food They say the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach, so show your dad a little bit of love by cooking him a hearty meal for Father's Day on Sunday 21 June.

In this article

Rachel's recipes Family-friendly meal

Something special Keeping it simple

Rachel's recipes

Irish-born celebrity cook Rachel Allen is a fan of modern homely cooking and, with a chef-husband and two sons, she knows what men like to eat!

Here's a selection of Rachel's recipes that are simple to prepare, full of flavour and certain to satisfy any father's appetite.

Family-friendly meal

This bacon and sausage stew is a satisfying all-in-one meal. It's easy enough for children to make (with a little adult assistance) and looks impressive taken to the table in its cooking pot. Serve it with a generous bowlful of creamy mashed potato or hunks of crusty bread and a fresh green salad.

For dessert, try Rachel's simple chocolate meringues. They can be made in advance, and even very young children can join in the mixing and assembling. Serve them with fresh berries, if you like.

• Bacon and sausage stew with beans
• Chocolate meringues with chocolate cream

Something special

For a more slightly more sophisticated meal, go for three impressive courses, rounded off with homemade petits fours.

Start with a light, fresh Vietnamese-style salad, followed by Rachel's Arabian spiced lamb. Tender racks of lamb, rubbed with homemade harissa and served on a bed of couscous flecked with fragrant herbs, should keep most men happy.

If your dad has a sweet-tooth, serve him a generous slice of Rachel's No-pastry pear and almond tart, with custard or good quality ice cream on the side. Substitute peaches or berries for the pears for an early taste of summer. If your dad's a savoury man, present him with a selection of two or three artisan cheeses, oat cakes, water biscuits and slices of fresh pear or quince paste, instead of the tart.

To round off your father's feast, sit him in his favourite chair and hand him a plate of Little mocha kisses and a strong dark espresso or big mug of tea.

• Vietnamese crab salad with rice noodles - this recipe serves 4 as a starter
• Arabian spiced rack of lamb with couscous
• No-pastry pear and almond tart
• Little mocha kisses

Keeping it simple

Maybe your dad's more of a meat and two veg kind of man. If that's the case, stick to what he likes. Rachel's homemade pork sausages combine some old-fashioned favourites and make a classic meal with some lightly steamed vegetables on the side.

• Homemade pork sausages with colcannon and apple sauce

Alternatively, stick to the British classics and cook him the perfect sirloin steak and chips, or serve a traditional roast with plenty of potatoes and gravy. Follow one of the video recipes below and print out the step-by-step images to make sure your meal turns out perfectly and makes your father's day.

• Sirloin steak with chunky chips - video recipe (a non-video version is available)
• Roast beef with Yorkshires - video recipe (a non-video version is available)
• Roast loin of pork with crackling and cider gravy - video recipe (a non-video version is available)
• Roast leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary - video recipe (a non-video version is available)
• Roast chicken - video recipe (a non-video version is available)
• Mashed potatoes - video recipe (a non-video version is available)

Mindachild :: The Leading Babysitting Agency

Welcome to Mindachild.co.uk. We are a new friendly, reliable babysitting service, offering fully qualified babysitters 7 days a week.

Mindachild offers you a tailor made service, whether you have a last minute engagement or simply booking in advance, we have the solution for you.

All of our childminders are CRB checked and reference checked to ensure your childs safety and your piece of mind.

Register with Mindachild today...

If you are a parent please click here

If you are a babysitter please click here

If you have any further questions please contact us at info@mindachild.co.uk

Art School Online

Drawing is fun! Drawing is cool! You can draw by yourself! You can draw with your friends! You can make new friends (real or imaginary)! Learn how to draw cars, aliens, cartoon faces, cartoon people, horses, zebras, dolphins, sharks and lots of other pretty cool stuff... find out more at: www.drawbooks.com

Kids Crafts

All our kids crafts are quick and easy, require minimal equipment and materials, and offer satisfyingly instant results - because we know that even crafty kids like to be able see the fruits of their labour in action within minutes rather than hours! Scroll down to find our kids crafts sorted by holiday, season and activity.

To find out more visit www.activityvillage.co.uk

Cooking with children - Annabel Karmel

For grownups, spending time in the kitchen might be a chore, but for children the kitchen is a fun and exciting place. Children love to cook and relish doing things like kneading and rolling out dough or cracking eggs and mixing batters. Cooking with your child is not just a great way of bonding – it’s also educational. Children can acquire and hone skills such as counting, measuring, weighing and understanding time and fractions – all without noticing.

Children are seldom taught much about cookery at school so it’s up to parents to encourage them to experiment with cooking at home. The school holidays offer the ideal opportunity.

Learning to prepare food teaches children to be self-sufficient and better prepared for an independent life. Getting children involved in the kitchen is also a great way to motivate fussy eaters. Children will eagerly tuck into something they have prepared themselves and take great pride in watching someone else enjoy their food.

To read more about this article and view the recipes click the green 'Next' button at the top of this article.

Mindachild :: The Leading Babysitting Agency

Welcome to Mindachild.co.uk. We are a new friendly, reliable babysitting service, offering fully qualified babysitters 7 days a week.

Mindachild offers you a tailor made service, whether you have a last minute engagement or simply booking in advance, we have the solution for you.

All of our childminders are CRB checked and reference checked to ensure your childs safety and your piece of mind.

Register with Mindachild today...

If you are a parent please click here

If you are a babysitter please click here

If you have any further questions please contact us at info@mindachild.co.uk

Brown reveals free childcare plan

By Brian Wheeler BBC News, Labour conference, Manchester

Gordon Brown visited a Sure Start centre ahead of the conference

Every two-year-old would get a free nursery place under a proposal for a major expansion of childcare over 10 years announced by Gordon Brown.

Up to 600,000 children could benefit as ministers seek to build on existing provision for three and four-year-olds.

Mr Brown announced the plan in a Sunday Telegraph interview as Labour's annual conference got under way.

It comes as an internet survey suggests Labour could be left with as few as 160 MPs at the next general election.

Aides were stressing that the extra childcare places were an aspiration rather than a firm policy commitment.

Boosting achievement

Mr Brown told The Sunday Telegraph: "I think more choice for women and for families is one of themes of the next stage of our policy reforms.

"What I want us to do is to create thousands more nursery places, not just for three and four-year-olds but also for two-year-olds.

"This is not a government that walks away but a government that's on the side of hard-working families, helping them to climb the ladder."

The plans go further than an already-announced scheme to help 20,000 low income parents with two-year-olds.

They will feature in Mr Brown's make-or-break speech to the Labour Party conference in Manchester on Tuesday, when he will promise a "new wave of social mobility - upward mobility - people being able to do better than their parents".

At present, parents get up to 15 hours of free childcare a week when their children are three and four.

Ministers believe that exposure to learning environments at an earlier age will boost achievements at primary school.

Mr Brown opened the conference on Saturday with a pledge to do "whatever it takes" to sort out Britain's financial system.

BROWNOMETER That PoliticsHome poll will not make happy bedtime reading for Mr Brown. Perhaps he could try a Harry Potter... Full conference coverage

The PM hailed the action his government has taken to help stabilise the money markets in the past week.

But he said he would now push for reforms to the global finance system.

Meanwhile three different opinion polls have suggested a mixed picture for the Labour Party. An internet survey for PoliticsHome.com questioned almost 35,000 voters from 238 marginal seats, over three months up to the eve of the conference. The results project a landslide victory for Conservative leader David Cameron at the next general election.

HAVE YOUR SAY

What is Labour going to do to help people with negative equity and who are suffering under the present situation with the housing market?

Sharon Solomons, Ruislip, UK

Send us your comments

The survey's findings are that the number of Labour MPs could be reduced to 160, lower than after the 1983 election. Eight cabinet ministers will lose their seat, the projections based on the survey suggests.

And a ComRes survey of 1,014 adults for the Independent on Sunday suggested Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg's offer to cut taxes had boosted his party at the expense of the Conservatives. The survey showed the Lib Dems closing the gap on both their rivals - up to 21%, with Labour on 27% and the Tories on 39%.

Meanwhile a YouGov survey of 1,200 Labour members for the Sunday Times suggested 53% thought Mr Brown was "indecisive and dithering" and just 34% thought he had an exciting vision for the future.

Downturn takes toll on child care providers

by Linda Angelo | The Flint Journal

Sunday March 22, 2009, 5:54 AM

GENESEE COUNTY, Michigan -- Day care providers are feeling the wrath of the nation's recession as parents lose their jobs or work reduced hours.

Some child care homes and centers have been forced to shut down, and others are operating with higher vacancy rates and less staff.

"Parents are looking for less costly child care options, so they are choosing their friends, family and neighbors," said Mary Ann Ketels, executive director of 4C Child Care Unlimited in Flint.

Recession hits day care industry

A National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies survey found:

• 45 percent of its providers experienced a decline in child care services offered at homes between the first and last half of 2008.

• 27 percent of its providers experienced declines in the number of child care centers in their communities.

• In the last six months of 2008, 65 percent reported an increase in vacancy rates at child care centers and 76 reported an increase in family child care homes.

• Requests for part-time care increased 41 percent.

In 2008, nearly 130 child care facilities closed in Genesee County, according to the state Department of Human Services.

It's a problem that isn't isolated to the Flint area or Michigan.

The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies conducted a survey and found that 45 percent of its providers experienced a decline in child care services provided at homes between the first and last half of 2008.

Child care centers, meanwhile, experienced a 27 percent decline.

Parents can no longer afford the high price of child care after they lose their jobs, cut back hours or have to take lower-paying jobs.

In Genesee County, parents pay an average of $128.33 per week for child care, data show.

Nancy Kramer, owner of Teddy Bear Child Care in Davison Township, said she hasn't gotten many calls lately from parents looking for child care.

"I would average two years ago six calls a week, where now I'm averaging two calls a month," said Kramer, who has been in business since 1982.

"Now I'm averaging more calls per week from people looking for work than looking for child care."

Kramer is licensed to operate a group child care home, which can take up to 12 children. But over the past two years, her enrollment dropped to the point where she could no longer pay an employee and began operating as a family child care home, which can accept up to six children.

The number of family child care homes in Genesee County dropped from 168 in 2007 to 148 in 2008 while group homes declined from 176 to 151, Ketels said.

Of those still operating, many have seen a shift from parents needing full-time child care to part-time care as parents work fewer hours.

That mirrors the national association's survey, which reported a 41 percent increase in requests for part-time care.

Mary Simmington, owner of Little Rascals Child Care Center in Flint, said her center now provides greater flexibility to meet those part-time needs.

"I see a lot of families struggling to make their payments," she said.

The national survey also indicated that 41 percent of its providers said centers were laying off staff.

Simmington said she hasn't had to lay off employees, but they are working fewer hours and one position was not filled after an employee left. Little Rascals, which has operated for 21 years, has experienced about a 25 percent drop in enrollment.

Some child care providers worry about the ramifications of parents pulling their children out of a structured setting to stay with friends, families or relatives.

"We're a preschool, so they miss out on all preschool activities, computer work and a structured environment," said Marcy Beam, program director at Doodle Bugs in Burton. "We run almost what it's like in a kindergarten facility.

"When you are with 20 other students in a class, it's different than when you are home by yourself."

Not all child care providers, though, are experiencing hardships.

Karen Crist of Little Pals in Flint Township said she is licensed for 12 and is full.

"I have a lot of parents who are laid off, but I've kept my rates low," she said.

"I love what I do. I think everybody in the community needs to step up and lower rates. ... They need to work with a little less of a wage and make concessions so everyone can get through this."

Mindachild.co.uk :: The Leading Childcare Agency

>Welcome to mindachild.co.uk

Welcome to Mindachild.co.uk. We are a new friendly, reliable babysitting service, offering fully qualified babysitters 7 days a week.

Mindachild offers you a tailor made service, whether you have a last minute engagement or simply booking in advance, we have the solution for you.

All of our childminders are CRB checked and reference checked to ensure your childs safety and your piece of mind.

Register with Mindachild today...

If you are a parent please click here

If you are a babysitter please click here

If you have any further questions please contact us at info@mindachild.co.uk

Children who are cared for by friends and relatives while their parents work can suffer "significant ill-effects" to their development, a new report s

Researchers at Bristol University also found that children whose mothers go back to full-time work before they are 18 months old are slower at developing basic learning skills.

However, the cost of childcare can be too much for some parents - summertime play schemes cost as much as £135 a week.

Furthermore, there is only one childcare place for every five children under the age of eight, according to the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted).

Baby P: 36% of investigations into serious child abuse are 'inadequate'

One in three investigations into serious child abuse has been branded inadequate by inspectors, triggering fresh concerns that authorities are not learning from tragedies such as the death of Baby P.

By Martin Beckford, Social Affairs Correspondent
Last Updated: 10:49PM GMT 17 Mar 2009

Tim Loughton, the Shadow Children's Minister, said: 'It is a tragedy that serious case reviews are made necessary by child deaths but it is a double tragedy if the subsequent inquiries are not up to scratch' Photo: Geoff Pugh

When a child dies or is suspected of suffering serious injury through abuse or neglect, serious case reviews must be carried out by Local Safeguarding Children Boards, whose members include council officers, health workers and police.

The reports are not published in full, but are intended to help child protection agencies work together better and prevent further abuse.

Related Articles

• Baby P: Ed Balls admits new child protection law would not have saved his life

• Baby P: Vulnerable children not protected, says Ofsted

• Baby P: Now the co-author of the Serious Case Review calls for it to be published

• Baby P: Six social workers still on full pay despite 'devastating' report

• Lord Laming report to criticise child protection

But an evaluation of 64 serious case reviews published by Ofsted, the education and children's services watchdog, shows that 23 (36 per cent) were inadequate.

A further 25 of the reviews evaluated between December and February were judged adequate and just 16 were considered good.

This is a slight improvement on the serious case reviews analysed between September and November last year, of which almost half (21 out of 51) were branded inadequate.

However critics said too many mistakes are still being made, and called for the reports to be released publicly.

Tim Loughton, the Shadow Children's Minister, said: "It is a tragedy that serious case reviews are made necessary by child deaths but it is a double tragedy if the subsequent inquiries are not up to scratch.

"A major way forward to improve the standard of these serious case reviews must be to publish their findings in full, subject to suitable redaction and anonymisation.

"This will help everyone to learn the lessons of mistakes, will restore public confidence in the protection process and will ensure that no material facts are swept under the carpet."

The serious case reviews judged inadequate by Ofsted include the one carried out into the death of Baby P, the 17-month-old boy who suffered horrific abuse at home even though he was on Haringey Council's at-risk register.

Leaked extracts from the report showed that officials delayed meetings about his welfare and failed to pass on information.

However the review, which was overseen by Sharon Shoesmith, Haringey's director of children's services who has now been sacked, was still rejected and a new one is now being carried out.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said: "Ofsted's latest figures show that the overall quality of serious case reviews is improving, with the proportion of SCRs evaluated as 'good' increasing from 16 per cent (between September and November 2008) to 25 per cent (between December 2008 and February 2009)."

Learning from Denmark's child care?

On the eve of the Baby P report, More4 News travels to Denmark to find out what we can learn from their childcare system.

Tomorrow will see the publication of yet another report into the failings of the care system for vulnerable children, when Lord Laming gives his recommendations following the death of Baby P.

That case saw social workers criticised for failing to take the child into care. But social workers are often criticised when they do intervene - not least because the experience of children within the care system is often far from ideal.

But does it have to be like that? Nina Teggarty has been looking at a country with a significantly better record than Britain.

Alex Thomson speaks to Labour MP Barry Sheerman, who's the chairman of the select committee on children, schools and families.

'When redundancy hit our family'

By Paul Burnell BBC News

On a wet Monday last month, 350 workers from the iconic firm of Wedgwood in North Staffordshire lost their jobs.

Mark and Debra Evans have found job hunting hard

Calling the area the Potteries suddenly became a sick joke for workers as whole families were devastated.

Until Stoke-on-Trent's black Monday, Mark Evans was a Wedgwood polisher who had been with the company for 11 years.

His wife Debra was a china selector and their 21-year-old son worked in the multi-print shop.

All three, who live in the old pottery town of Hanley, were made redundant. Mark and Debra had accepted voluntary redundancy a few weeks earlier and were hoping for a few more weeks' work, but the company's collapse stopped this and meant they lost the financial packages they were promised

"People that had been there 20 to 30 years were just finished there and then," Debra told BBC Radio 4's Seven Days.

"It's like something on the bottom of your shoe that's been scraped off. That's how I think a lot of people feel."

Find Out More Listen to Seven Days, Radio 4 Thursday 26 February 2009 2000 GMT. Or catch up at Radio 4's Listen Again site

Mark explained how staff heard they had lost their jobs.

"They made us stand in a line in the rain. I had to go into the canteen," he said.

"The administrator stood up and said 'unfortunately all in this room are being made redundant effective from now', so it was a big shock."

The shock was brought home when Mark and Debra next visited the factory to collect belongings such as a toaster and kettle and to register for statutory redundancy pay.

Escorted by security staff on and off the premises, there was hardly chance to say goodbye to friends and colleagues.

Minimum wage

Ever since then they have been job hunting

In the first two days Mark visited 10 employment agencies.

"You go into these places, you ask 'have you got any manufacturing jobs or industrial' and it is 'No, no, come back in a week's time we might have something then'," he said.

"There is office work, but when you've never done it and you don't know how to use a computer it's no good. There is a lot of cleaning jobs, but they only want you for 10 hours a week.

Debra registered immediately with two agencies, "working in hospitals, care homes, that sort of things".

"It's just national minimum wage, but something is better than nothing," she said, as they faced the imminent prospect of no money coming into the house.

There's a hell of a lot of people redundant, Wedgwood, JCB, Woolworth's. We're all in the same situation. There's nothing really out there." Debra Evans

"You've got to live from day to day," said Debra.

Added Mark: "I think it's going to be a long hard slog.

Within days Debra got some temping work as a cleaner at the market.

Mark got a job valeting cars at night in a showroom in Crewe, but had to give it up.

"It was just too far to travel, it was 30 miles there and back," said Debra. "It's only temporary, it was pointless."

Job hunt

At that time, life was a round of job centres and agencies for the family.

"Whatever brings the money in, we've got to take it," said Debra.

"In the meantime it's sign on and hope that the people we pay our mortgage to, and others we owe money to, have patience," added Mark.

But Debra was not optimistic.

"There's a hell of a lot of people redundant. Wedgwood, JCB, Woolworth's, we're all in the same situation. There's nothing really out there."

The family members are all still looking for full time work.

Childcare team 'seriously weak'

Doncaster mayor Martin Winter says he will not seek re-election The government has ordered a takeover of Doncaster children's services after the deaths of seven children through abuse or neglect over five years. A new senior childcare management team is to be put in place after a review found provision was "seriously weak". As a result of the findings, Doncaster Council's elected mayor Martin Winter said he would not seek re-election. Children's Secretary Ed Balls said he was "particularly concerned" about the level of help for children in the town. The local authority has yet to provide a response to the government plans. In January Mr Balls commissioned an independent review of children's services which found "urgent improvement" was needed. Because it's happened on my watch as the mayor, many councillors have been using it as an opportunity to damage me personally Mayor Martin Winter Action pledged over child safety Mr Balls told the House of Commons that action would be swift and that Doncaster Council had been told of the decision. He said: "The Children's Minister has today written to the council giving them a formal direction to immediately appoint Mr Tony Elson to chair an independent improvement board which will report directly to ministers. "[It will] require the council to submit an improvement plan to be approved by the new board and require the council to co-operate with my department to bring in a new senior management team to take over the leadership and management on Doncaster Children's Services as soon as is practicable." Mr Winter said he had taken the decision not to seek re-election to "take the heat out" of the situation. He said: "Because it's happened on my watch as the mayor, many councillors have been using it as an opportunity to damage me personally, to damage the mayoralty before the election in June. "I therefore feel it's important to take politics out of this situation so that we are able to concentrate on the job in hand, and that's making Doncaster safer for children. "So, I've decided to announce today that I will not be seeking re-election as the Mayor of Doncaster in June of this year."