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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Original poster

A question: What annoys you about finding childcare?

106 replies

ambu · 16/02/2015 23:30

Hi everyone.

I'm new to mumsnet, but am am an entrepreneur looking to build a service that makes it easier to find and book childcare (both nannies and babysitters) online and/or via an app.

What I would love to know is:

How do you typically find care for your kids?
How often do you need childcare?
At what age would you start to look (if at all!) for professional childcare?
What annoys you about the current 'finding and using childcare' experience?

If anyone has a few minutes to help out then it would be super appreciated!

Thanks.

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Heels99 · 17/02/2015 08:09

Hi, I wouldn't use a sitter I hadn't met. But the are lots of services that offer that, my friend uses one and hasn't had any problems.

Original poster
ambu · 17/02/2015 08:07

Really interesting, thanks for your thoughts.

@Cindy34 - you make a very good distinction. I am thinking mainly about parents getting a babysitter for when they have (or indeed, want) to go out for the evening to dinner / the cinema / a date etc., and need someone to look after the child(ren).

Has anyone ever got a babysitter without having met them first?

When I was looking with a friend for a temporary babysitter, it seemed that there wasn't a service out there that catered to this particular need...

OP posts:
OutragedFromLeeds · 17/02/2015 02:06

I'm not sure that finding childcare should be 'easy' really. It's not like ordering a pizza. It's time consuming and in depth for a reason....i.e. you should put some thought and consideration into finding an appropriate person to leave your child with!

BackforGood · 16/02/2015 23:49

We contacted the FIS (which every local authority has) and asked about for any contacts or recommendations people knew. When we were just looking for out of school care later, we also asked at the school if they knew of any CMs that collected from the school.

When they were that age - all day, when we were at work, then of course, once they were school age, wrap around care (plus babysitters for when we wanted to go out).

When the baby was born

Nothing really

Babysitters, again, we asked around - asked people we knew if they had teenage relations who might want to earn some money, and asked teenagers we knew (through swimming club, church, or through Scouts for example) if they wanted to earn some money.

Cindy34 · 16/02/2015 23:45

Can't really help you as I am a provider.
An issue though for you to think about...
A nanny is an employee.
A babysitter is self employed service provider.
They are different things with dramatically different employment status.

A parent advertises for a nanny and should state the salary they are offering, one issue with many online sites at the moment is that parents don't have to say what they are offering. Would you apply for a job where you did not know what the salary was?

HSMMaCM · 16/02/2015 23:35

Not a parent, but to find me people contact the local authority, or childcare.co.uk or simply see me out and about at toddler groups.

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