Children and Families

Bringing Children into Theatre

Dependant Children can be brought into theatre as duty passengers if they are at university or 18yrs and under. If your children are at boarding school they can come down for the school holidays three times a year. If your children are at University, they can come down once a year, this can be when you like but it is presumed that this will be for the summer holidays.

If your children are not at boarding school, they can be indulged down. A child under 16 must be accompanied by a nominated adult. A 16 - 17yr old can travel on their own, but can not escort a child under 16. Applications to bring children down are on local forms managed by the FISU admin office and the JABC. Do check you have received a booking reference.

Schooling for Children

Mount Pleasant Complex Playgroup - The playgroup is situated in an adapted family quarter and is open five mornings per week during local school term-time. The playgroup is committee-run and children can be enrolled depending on age up until their 5th birthday. For 3-5 years old the playgroup is offered five mornings per week for 2 ½ to 3 years old. It is offered two to three mornings per week and 2-2½ years old will be considered for a place a couple of mornings a week if there are spaces available.

Stanley Playgroup - Jelly Tots mums and tots group meets twice a week and they sometimes come up to MPC.

Primary School for Ages 5 to 11 - A small Primary School is established at Mount Pleasant, which has a Head teacher and two class teachers. The school is part of Service Children's Education, which is a Government Agency, which has schools worldwide, supporting the children of service personnel and entitled attached civilians. Children start school in the September after their fourth birthday.

The holidays are in line with the UK but there is usually a four-week break in December and another four-week break in August. Children stay at school during lunchtime and eat a packed lunch. Children are transported to and from school by a school bus. The School has its own sweatshirt, which can be purchased from the School. To visit the school website please follow the link to Mount Plessant Primary School located under External Links on the right hand side of this page.

Secondary School for Ages 11 to 16 - There is a secondary school in Stanley, which provides education for up to 16 year olds studying GCSEs. A boarding house is provided for all children from outside Stanley and because of the distance from Mount Pleasant, children from the Station have to board, Monday to Friday.

Childcare for Working Parents - Unless you are living in Stanley, where limited childcare facilities in the form of child minders are available, or have children of secondary school age who will therefore be boarding in Stanley, no pre- or post- school facilities are available for working parents.

Babies

The Falkland Islands are a fantastic place to bring babies and young children. There is a lot to see and do and plenty of wide-open spaces, clean beaches, and wildlife. The Islands are a safe environment; with little crime, and even the weather isn't as bad as many people are led to believe!

In terms of availability, you can get almost anything here. It requires shopping around and there is rarely any choice of brand or colour. So, if you like to use a specific brand of something, it is often not available and would be best brought with you or purchased over the Internet.

Internet shopping can be extremely useful for baby gear. For instance the Boots web site sells most items available in its stores but they do charge a delivery fee for BFPO orders of any value. Nappies, formula, baby food, clothing, over-the-counter medicine, lotions and potions, etc can all be sent down here. The only snag is that any parcels weighing over 2 kg will be sent on the monthly ship which can take around 8 -10 weeks. It pays to plan ahead a few months.

• Disposable nappies - These are available from various places in Stanley, but are fairly expensive (1 ½ - 2 times as much as in the UK). Specific brand /size combinations are not necessarily available
• Reusable or terry nappies - These are not available to buy, but some people choose to bring them down
• Related Items - Wipes, nappy bags, cotton wool, Sudocreme, baby shampoo and soap are all available in Stanley and generally at MPC. Again, expect to pay more than in the UK and to have less choice of brand, etc.Formula - Formula is available in various places in Stanley. Like everything else, brands may vary and the price is higher than in the UK. Again it can be ordered through web sites like Boots and be sent down on the ship
• Cow's Milk - UHT whole milk is readily available through the families shop, in the NAAFI and at Rightlines at MPC
• Sterilisation - Milton, etc is available readily in Stanley. Steam sterilizers are probably not available to buy
• Equipment - Bottles, teats, beakers, etc are available in Stanley. Again they are in limited supply and variable brands. If you use a specific brand it is best to bring any spares you might need with you

A very limited selection of jars, tins and dried baby food are available in Stanley. The selection varies according to supply. In general it is necessary to make up purees etc, for young babies at home. The houses at MPC all have large chest freezers and a wide selection of frozen fruit and vegetables are readily available alongside the fresh produce in the Families shop at MPC.

Baby Clothing

A variable selection of baby and toddler clothing is available in a few shops in Stanley. Alternatively, Internet shopping is very popular.

• Outdoors - The weather in the Falklands can be very windy and fairly cold. An all-in-one snowsuit or similar warm and waterproof outdoor clothing is extremely useful and although sometimes available in Stanley, choice is very limited
• Shoes - The Health Visitor attends MPC every other month and has a foot-measuring device. Shoes are not easily available in Stanley (although a limited selection is sometimes available along with trainers and Wellingtons). In general children's shoes are purchased by mail order from the UK, or sent down by friendly relatives
• Other - There is a swimming pool at MPC for the use of families. Swim nappies and costumes are occasionally available in certain shops in Stanley. The sun can be very strong all year round, and hats and sun screen are vital. (A limited selection can be purchased in Stanley)

• Health Visitor - There is a health visitor in Stanley who visits MPC every other month. She also holds a weekly baby clinic in Stanley Hospital, which anyone is welcome to attend. Immunisations are arranged through the Health Visitor
• Medicine - The Med Centre at MPC holds stocks of infant paracetamol, infant ibruprofen, as well as other prescription medicines for children. If your child requires a specific prescription, it is worth speaking to the Med Centre in advance of your posting. Calpol and other non- prescription medicine are also available in Stanley
• Teething - Teething gel is available in Stanley and occasionally at MPC, as are baby toothbrushes and toothpaste. Again, there is little or no choice over brands and the price is more than in the UK
• Sunscreen - Sunscreen of Factor 25 is normally available from the Med Centre at MPC in limited supply and in Stanley. However, baby sunscreen in the UK is often of Factor 45 or higher and this is not always available - it is absolutely vital in the summer and necessary on many days in the winter too
• Emergency Treatment - Cases needing medical treatment beyond that available at the unit Medical Centre are transferred to the hospital in Stanley or returned to the UK or South America for specialized care. All emergencies are dealt with in the first instance by the Medical Centre
• Baby Clinics - The health visitor from Stanley visits MPC on a bi-monthly basis. Clinics are held in the Medical Centre and they usually also visit the playgroup

Baby Equipment

Cots, Highchairs and Stair gates - These are all available from Barrack Stores at MPC. However, they should be requested in advance of your arrival.

• Car seats - It is a legal requirement that children are suitably restrained in vehicles. Again, car seats are not readily available in Stanley and are very expensive
• Push-chairs and carry-packs - MPC and Stanley have pavements suitable for pushchairs. Elsewhere, this is not the case and many people find a back-pack carrier extremely useful. Again these are not available in the Falklands, but could be purchased tax-free through mail order
• Travel Cots - Some of the tourist accommodation in camp (i.e. outside Stanley) has cots available, but some do not and therefore a travel cot can be useful
• Toys - A selection of toys is available in several shops in Stanley.

Those coming with small babies need to be well prepared. While barrack stores can provide a cot/mattress, high chair and safety gates, it is advisable to notify them of your requirements as far in advance as is possible. However, issued cots are on the whole ancient and rickety. Although baby items are available in Stanley, they are expensive and the availability is erratic. Consequently, experience suggests that you bring down as much as you can in terms of nappies, toiletries, dried baby food and clothes. A car seat is also essential. Buggies and prams can be used in both Stanley and Mount Pleasant.

Activities for Children in Theatre

There are activities organised in theatre for children. Examples of these are shown below.

• Scouting Groups - Meet as one group in the community centre on Wednesday evening at 1830 - 2000hrs. Girls and boys up to the age of 12 can take part in a wide variety of activities under the supervision of trained leaders. Helpers are always welcome
• Swimming Pools - The MPC pool is open to children (for further details, see the sports facilities section) and pupils of the Mount Pleasant School as according to the timetable. A copy of this will be available upon your arrival

Family Shopping

Family Ration Shop - The shop stocks the same range of foodstuffs as the messes, plus an extra 60 items from a non-core range. They also stock a range of food and drinks imported from Chile by Stanley Growers, who run the local Garden Centre. Fresh bread is available and normally must be ordered the day before. This shop is the main source of supplies for most families. It is not available to unaccompanied personnel. The NAAFI has problems shipping so patience and a realistic expectation are essential. Prices are generally higher than in the UK due to freight charges.

Some items are only available in 'Catering Packs'. Stanley Growers is a small outlet that supplements the fruit and vegetables that are flown in on the 'Airbridge'. Most items are available most of the time, but not in large quantities. The day after the airbridge lands is the day to go shopping.

The NAAFI Bulk Issue Store - If you would like to purchase items in bulk (e.g. boxes of wine, dozens of toilet rolls) then you can buy directly from the NAAFI Bulk Store.

Groceries - A good basic range of foodstuffs is available from the rations shop and NAAFI. Items bought in Stanley can supplement this. Specialist ingredients are sometimes not available so it is best to bring a supply. Special types of baby food and baby milk are limited and not always readily available. On the whole, however, it is possible to get most foodstuffs.

The only shops available except for those at MPC are found in Stanley. These comprise mainly of gift shops, small supermarkets and a DIY store. Clothes are extremely limited and it is recommended to shop by internet. It is advisable to register with a catalogue before leaving the UK, but do check that they deliver to BFPO addresses.

Pets

Personnel are not encouraged to bring dogs to the Falkland Islands because of Hydatic disease caused by a sheep parasite. The disease can be transmitted to humans via the eggs of tapeworm carried by dogs on their coats or saliva and personnel are therefore strongly advised not to stroke island dogs. Cats must wear a collar and be neutered. Approval can be given to bring a pet to the Falklands providing the animal has resided in the UK since birth, or for six months or prior to embarking for the Islands. If this is the case, no quarantine restrictions apply, except for two weeks "house quarantine" on arrival. However, if the dog/cat has travelled from a country other than the UK, it will have to undergo six months quarantine in the UK before embarking for the Falkland Islands.

Except for service animals, all animals must travel to the Falkland Islands by sea. To arrange transportation by ship, permission must be sought from the captain before sailing. The pet owner must provide the necessary documentation, cage, bedding and food for the duration of the voyage. The captain will appoint a volunteer to look after the pet for the voyage they will expect to be thanked financially for their efforts. This ship will not accept any liability. More details are available from:

DHL
Global Forwarding
Bldg 36
Sea Mounting Centre
Marchwood
Hants
SO40 4ZG

Tel: 02380 663455
Fax: 02380 666021

Department of Agriculture
Stanley
PO Box 153
Falkland Islands

Tel: +500 27366
Fax: +500 27352

No more than two pets will be allowed in any SFA. Pets permitted in SFA on the strict condition that they are controlled and do not become a nuisance to other SFA occupants. In this context; 'nuisance' may signify excessive noise, damage, aggression etc. In the event of complaints about pets, owners will be warned and advised to keep the animal under control. Should the problem persist, permission to keep the animal may be withdrawn, in which case the owner will be responsible for making whatever arrangements are necessary to remove the animal.

Jobs for the Family

There are a few employment opportunities at MPC. Most of these vacancies are advertised locally and through the families officer or Command Sec. Only rarely are posts available in Stanley, but they require a commute.

For more information, contact Command Secretariat.