It has been a funny year, hasn’t it? As you know I am lucky enough to work from home and being self-employed means I can plan things around looking after my son. I do know I am very fortunate in that and so many friends have been sharing their childcare stresses I wanted to share with you childcare.co.uk. If you have just had a baby navigating returning to work can be stressful and not just because of childcare! Here is some information which may help.
How to choose childcare for your little ones
If you have friends with similar age children you may find that you are inundated with recommendations. However, if they are all full or if you don’t know anyone who uses the childcare you need then it is easy to get stuck.
The first thing to consider is of course what hours you need childcare for and whether there are any times you may require emergency childcare.
Following this, you need to consider what is best for your child and your family’s circumstances. Do you want home-from-home style childcare with a childminder looking after your child in their own home? Alternatively, do you want a nursery as a step towards school? There are other options out there you may not have considered such as a nanny or private tutors.
Depending on the age of your children and the hours you need there are so many options out there. It would take ages to Google Childminders in Nottingham for example so this is where childcare.co.uk is perfect.
How childcare.co.uk makes it easy
If you are really not sure what you need it is easy to search all childcare services in your area. Simply add your postcode, all childcare services and search.
You will get a list of local services with an indication of how quickly they reply to messages (you can message them through the site in a few clicks!), view their profile and see their starting prices.
If you are looking for school pick-ups it is easy to see which schools a childminder picks up from as they list this on their profile. For nurseries, they also share if they offer after-school or before-school care, holiday care etc.
I love the way you can simply browse a number of professionals or locations and simply see all the details you know in one place.
How do you find out all the information you need?
Does the nursery, childminder or nanny provide snacks? Do they have any current availability? Is the provider you are considering available in the evenings or weekends? Do they accept childcare vouchers? All of this information is on the childcare.co.uk website so it is really easy to see what you need.
If you are looking for children to attend childcare as part of one of the government schemes where the government funds 15 or 30 hours of free childcare then it is easy to see if they offer this too.
Safety first – ensuring your child is safe
I know personally, I feel awkward asking for evidence of things like DBS checks, first aid courses etc. They are important though so we shouldn’t feel awkward, should we?
Childcare.co.uk make this easy for you as they encourage all providers to upload copies of things like DBS checks, driving license, first aid certificates, training certificates, Ofsted certificate etc. Whilst for privacy you are not able to view these the team at childcare.co.uk do review them to ensure they are genuine and accurate.
Being able to see they have these things is such a relief I think as a parent and makes asking them to see them when you meet them in person much less awkward!
5 reasons why you should consider using childcare.co.uk
If you are in any doubt here are 5 reasons I think you need to try out childcare.co.uk for finding whatever childcare it is that you need.
- It is one central point where you can find hundreds of local options all in one place.
- Contacting potential providers is really easy so you can contact a large number initially if you are unsure and then decide after asking for more details.
- All the things you need to know but may be afraid to ask such as DBS checks, Ofsted registration and first aid certificates have been checked for you. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still check yourself but does make it easier to ask.
- Each provider has reviews, a photo and a profile so you can really get a feel for whether someone is the right person for you.
- There may be options you had not considered that you discover and realise are perfect for you. Have you ever considered a nanny? Check out the ones in your area and you may change your mind.
If you are yet to sort out any childcare do pop over and have a look. I am positive you will find lots of options in your area that you didn’t even know existed. You can also check out the average costs of the providers in your area so that even before you find someone you can start budgeting.
