I'm sitting out my last few days before my DC1 arrives and have been meaning to investigate childcare options and get my baby's name down, as I expect to have to go back to work after six months... BUT I am struggling. I have the list of childminders and nurseries in the area, and there are many options - but I can't begin to think how to narrow them down and what questions to ask when I do... (and I don't know any other parents locally who may be able to make personal recommendation). Anyone been through this?

The best thing to do really, is to go and visit them - you really get a feel for the place and will start to see whether you want your child in nursery or with a child minder.

I personally went for a nursery as I didn't feel that anyone who came into the childminder's house could be CRB checked (relatives etc) and so felt nursery was the safer option and so started from this basis. I also put together a list of questions to ask them - I thought I had it saved to post here but I don't, although if you trawl mnet, you will find threads detailing the questions

Bottom line really though, is the feel of the place - the nursery DS is in, had that feel when we went in - happy, homely, clean etc and that combined with the Ofsted report, answers to questions etc, decided it for us

Hope this helps a bit?

you need to visit as many as you can and get a FEEL for them - how the children are interacting in each setting, how you feel about the staff/childminder etc etc.

I would wait until baby arrives, so you know how you feel about your baby too and your baby's needs/wants.

We ended up choosing a nursery because we liked the thought of our dt's playing and growing up with multiple children of the same age whereas a childminder would only have your LO along with a few older children. Because of my and my DH's work commitments we liked the continuity of care element - no issues with staff illness as its their responsibility to have the staff numbers to cover - if your childminder is ill, you have to take time off work or find another childminder....not something we could do at the drop of a hat.

You HAVE to be comfortable with your choice though, so any element of doubt needs to be ironed out and discussed with the carer in question else you will be sat at work worrying - and then posting on here asking "this happened to DC today, should I be worried....."

Good luck in your search, and of course good luck on arrival of DC!

You also need to cost it all up. Childminders generally work out cheaper than nurseries, which may have a bearing on your decision.

cost it out is good advice

my ex-childminder was slightly more expensive than a nursery and I had to pay for her holidays and find alternative care - quite expensive

(not trying to open that old row again that's just my experience)

also, look at the other kids she minds...your LO could be stuck in car all day (or in a buggy) going from pillar to post doing school drop offs/pick ups

good luck

firstly do you know what hours you are going to be working and what days?

then are the hours always going to be the same and the days

do you have any standbys if a childminder is ill?

we chose a nursery because it opened from 8am til 6pm and there would be no problem with staff sickness

we only looked around one as all the others in the area didn't open at 8am, most opened too late for me to get to work for 9am

I know it's different with nurseries but not everyone sorts out a nursery place before their dc is born. Certainly with childminders I'd wait to be able to visit with the baby, though again it varies and I did find someone in advance (who just wanted a deposit of a week's money rather than a retainer). The CM I chose made a point of asking to hold ds and get him playing with toys, then aged about 6 months, which impressed me - he started with her full time at 10 months and settled in quickly, he really loves it there now.

Yes you don't really need to worry about it now you know.... You know Sugarglider, I can't help wondering if you are having the pre-birth nesting urge that traditionally is meant to make women clean the house before they go into labour only in your case it is taking the form of a frantic urge to sort out your childcare

ali bubbles list to ask cm's

How long have you been working with children?

What training have you had? Any qualifications? Are you part of a network, achieved a quality assurance qualification, look at registration certificate, insurance details, business use for car. First aid must be no more than 3 years old, food hygiene certificate, Certificate in Childminding practice or NVQ 3, Contracts and record forms

Do you enjoy being with children and why?

Can I look around, see the rooms and outside play space? If there is no outside play space - how will you make sure my child gets the chance to play outside?

Where will my child rest?

What kind of food and drink will you give? Can I see a menu?

What will my child do all day?

How do you encourage good behaviour?

Will my child be with a regular group of children? How old are they? How will their timetable fit in with my child?

How will you make sure I know how my child is getting on?

What hours is she open?

How much does she charge?

What about when my child is sick, holidays, days off

What do you do in an emergency?

When was her last Ofsted, can you see the report?

Top 10 Quality Pointers

When you visit possible childcare options, look for these Quality Pointers:

Are the children calm, safe, happy and busy?

Do children play and talk together?

Is the childminder listening to the children and answering them carefully?

Is the childminder friendly and proud of her work?

Is she joining in joining in with what the children are doing?

Are there lots of fun activities planned to help children learn and play? Can children plan some of these activities themselves?

Are there plenty of clean toys and equipment for children to use?

Is the premises clean, well kept and safe for children with a fun outside play area (or will the child go to parks and other places regularly)?

Do parents have plenty of chances to say what they want for their children?

If there are other things you want to know, don't be afraid to ask. Good childminders expect you to ask questions and will be happy to answer them.

Always take up references. You could ask for names of other parents to talk to about the service

Listen to your child and find out more if he/she is unhappy
Always trust your own feelings about your childcare - you know your child best

Whatever you choose, especially if you book it early, go back for a visit a month or two before you go back to work. Assess it as though you were making the decision for the first time and if it's wrong, change it.

I chose a nursery for DS but it was a very bad choice and I just sat there thinking oh it will be okay when the time comes. Then I had to find a CM at very very short notice because the nursery environment was not right for my child.