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Original poster

Start work soon and still no childcare! What do I do?

165 replies

sayyiusayee · 25/03/2023 06:14

I'm suppose to start on the 12th April.

I've been trying for over a week to find childcare.

I wanted a nursery (haha, I didn't realise I wasn't getting one!), and they all said nothing at all until September, one even said September 2025 Blush

I've asked loads of childminders and they all say they don't have the availability

It's a good job for me. I feel so sad I might have to turn it down...

Honestly, what do people do? How do other people find childminders so much easier to get hold of than nurseries? They're all booked here

OP posts:
Thisisthewaywe · 25/03/2023 06:39

I don't always need 3 full days of childcare but I have to accept paying for it as some weeks I do need all the days.

Which is great if you can as it gives you a much needed break. But not everyone can do this.

kegofcoffee · 25/03/2023 06:39

I recently had to turn down a job offer for the same reason.

I lost my job at the end of last year, I couldn't afford to keep paying full time nursery fees for two children while not earning. So I reduced their hours down to what we could afford, which was 3 short days.

Then I was offered a job, contacted the nursery to increase their hours back up. And they have no extra availability for 18 months!!!!!

Called around everywhere locally, posted on Facebook, on childcare.co.uk. Nowhere can taken them both until at least Sept 2024!

So now I'm trapped out of work.

Original poster
sayyiusayee · 25/03/2023 06:40

JessicaBrassica · 25/03/2023 06:38

You might need to pay for the whole day, whether you use the mornings or not. Or find a friend who just wants mornings and split the day?

I can't even find anyone with any availability at all so doesn't seem to matter. However, I can't afford to pay for a full day

This job is only 9.5 hours a week. I'm doing it so I can get back into work and still have my carers allowance, and be able to juggle logistically with things.

The child I thought would be easy to find childcare is really not Grin should've known!

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Childcare & nursery Families
Iccle · 25/03/2023 06:41

Have a look on babysitting websites? Perhaps not the cheapest option but you may be able to come to an arrangement for someone with availability.

OddBoots · 25/03/2023 06:41

I don't know if every local authority has one but I know some have what they call a 'family information service' which you can call and they may be able to tell you about childcare options in your area that you've not yet tried. You should be able to Google them or find them on your council website.

Original poster
sayyiusayee · 25/03/2023 06:42

OddBoots · 25/03/2023 06:41

I don't know if every local authority has one but I know some have what they call a 'family information service' which you can call and they may be able to tell you about childcare options in your area that you've not yet tried. You should be able to Google them or find them on your council website.

Thank you! Will give this a try

OP posts:
Pennymixture · 25/03/2023 06:42

Thisisthewaywe · 25/03/2023 06:39

I don't always need 3 full days of childcare but I have to accept paying for it as some weeks I do need all the days.

Which is great if you can as it gives you a much needed break. But not everyone can do this.

Obviously. Which is why I've laid out the options for the OP.

Original poster
sayyiusayee · 25/03/2023 06:42

Iccle · 25/03/2023 06:41

Have a look on babysitting websites? Perhaps not the cheapest option but you may be able to come to an arrangement for someone with availability.

Unfortunately not. I need them to be registered as I can't claim the childcare on my UC otherwise

OP posts:
Pennymixture · 25/03/2023 06:44

OddBoots · 25/03/2023 06:41

I don't know if every local authority has one but I know some have what they call a 'family information service' which you can call and they may be able to tell you about childcare options in your area that you've not yet tried. You should be able to Google them or find them on your council website.

There's a charity called HomeStart in our area, not sure if they're nationwide. They might be able to sign post other options.

Rainbowqueeen · 25/03/2023 06:44

If it’s only 9.5 hours a week can your DH change his hours so he goes in early and comes home early??

Alternatively your best option is to find a retired person or uni student and pay them. Yes it may cost more but if they can do it from your home then you save drop off time etc.

Iccle · 25/03/2023 06:44

Some of them may be. I had a lady who used to do evening babysitting who was a registered childminder.

Hayliebells · 25/03/2023 06:44

It does sound like maybe this new job just isn’t compatible with paid for childcare. If you don’t have anyone who could look after your baby (i.e. a family member), it may well be that you do have to turn down the job, and look for something more suitable. It sucks, but you wouldn’t be the first person to be screwed by the both ludicrously expensive, and limited supply, of childcare in the UK. It’s really only compatible with people earning a good wage who work full days. It shouldn’t be, but it is. Could you put your child down on the waiting list for a nursery, then look for a job closer to September, so you have childcare ready for them their place comes up? That is what I had to do, I knew I wasn’t going back to my job after maternity leave and would need to find a new one, but I still had to put my daughter down on waiting lists almost a year in advance of getting that job. You’re not obliged to take the place, so you could turn it down or try and defer, if you don’t manage to find a job.

Original poster
sayyiusayee · 25/03/2023 06:48

@Hayliebells thank you. It's a shame because I put her name down for Pre school in January 2024 (term after she turns 2), and there's a space

Shame it isn't for now as that would've covered me

OP posts:
Phineyj · 25/03/2023 06:50

I think as pp says, you're going to need to find childcare then look for a job.

Original poster
sayyiusayee · 25/03/2023 06:52

But the (very part time) hours might be different so how do you do that in advance? It's not like working FT where you know the hours are standard and you know you'll need FT

I think I'm probably going to have to just sit this out until my little one goes to pre school or school

OP posts:
marcopront · 25/03/2023 06:54

Could your DH adjust his hours for a while to cover it?

Hayliebells · 25/03/2023 06:56

No problem, it’s a really rubbish situation, and I feel for you. At least our government are waking up to the fact that if they want parents of babies back to work, they need to provide more support for the childcare to enable them to do so. But it needs to happen now, not in two years time! I guess there just aren’t the places now so it can’t, but they’re not going to magically appear, it’s all a bit of a mess really.

Original poster
sayyiusayee · 25/03/2023 06:57

@marcopront no, not 4 afternoons a week worth

He can't work from home and needs to be in core office hours

OP posts:
SmartestGiantInCity · 25/03/2023 06:57

What's the job doing? If you go back to them and say you're going to have to turn it down because of childcare they might let you do two days instead? I did similar when I started my job.

ThreeFeetTall · 25/03/2023 06:58

I think you are getting some harsh replies. It's a bit of a crazy system - having to find a job and childcare for the right hours to somehow start at the same time.

I think if you go on maternity leave with a job to come back to it's a different situation- of course OP's not going to be booking a nursery place at 20 weeks pregnant when they don't have a job at that point!

Hayliebells · 25/03/2023 06:58

sayyiusayee · 25/03/2023 06:52

But the (very part time) hours might be different so how do you do that in advance? It's not like working FT where you know the hours are standard and you know you'll need FT

I think I'm probably going to have to just sit this out until my little one goes to pre school or school

What kind of work is it, do you absolutely have to do less than a full day? You could still be very part-time, but work say, two full days a week, and you’d find childcare much more easily.

Namechange224422 · 25/03/2023 06:58

If you like and want the job then definitely don’t cancel it!

Can you call back the nursery which had space from September and book in from September for the sessions you need.

Then can you ask your partner to take holiday for the first two weeks on your working days so that you’re not stressing at the beginning.

That then leaves you 4 months that you and your partner need to fill.

The nursery you book with may well be able to help with ad hoc sessions if you ring each week - people often drop out /cancel/take holiday etc but they won’t want to commit now. Or you might be able to ask them to call you each time they have a space if you explain.

Do you have any friends or family who you can ask for help? Anyone who is on maternity that your baby knows who might like a bit of pocket money?

Remember you will have holiday which you can use too, as will your partner, so that will cover quite a lot of those weeks too.

Depending on what the job is, if you can occasionally do it from home, you might get away with occasional days with baby at home whilst you work but obviously this isn’t ideal!

In your position I would also have an honest conversation with work once you’ve settled in so that they know that you’re struggling with childcare but that it’ll be sorted by September. Knowing that it’s sorted from September will go a long way towards work being helpful if there are days you can’t fill.

Lovelyveg80 · 25/03/2023 07:01

@Iccle

i must have missed your constructive suggestion!

Namechange224422 · 25/03/2023 07:05

Could he do flexi hours one day a week though until September? That would already be a really good start to getting the hours covered

BloodyThursday · 25/03/2023 07:06

If you are in the UK I used childcare.co.uk to find my childminder. We worked shifts and she fitted us perfectly.