Massive childcare issues

[smileygrapefruit]

Our childminder has just told us that she will be closed one day a week starting from January. She cares for our two under 3 DC. Me and DH both work full time. What the fuck am I supposed to do?! No way will we be able to sort something before January!

Is there anyone that your childminder can recommend? All the childminders seem to know each other round here and I have heard them at school checking if other minders have vacancies when they've been asked to take on someone they can't?

I hope you get something sorted soon.

(Also for 2 dc under 3 I think a nanny is a good option).

She said all the ones she knows are full

Also, register with childcare.co.uk and car.com. I think you'll probably find it easier than you imagine to cover the extra care.

In reality if you can find another CM for the one day they your cost difference should be negligible.

Care.com*

What is your back up care for if your kids or the cm is ill? I would use that for a few weeks if you haven't found anywhere by Jan.

We really like her and the kids love going there so ideally we would just want to cover the one day. Thanks Alehouse, will look in to those sites.

If you are otherwise happy with and like her have you tried just talking to her? Maybe she knows that other childminders are full but doesn't have the full picture of your circumstances and how difficult it will be for you to find alternative care for the one day a week. Perhaps she would give you more notice if you asked.

I know my childminders contract does not allow notice during her holiday if that helps it may be worth checking yours.

And don't be disheartened.

Dependant on where you live it may not be that bad. I helped a friend with phone calls for childcare today we struck gold at the second nursery we called who have places from jan so it's worth calling them

I think nurseries are unlikely to take for one day a week? Here it's minimum 2 and more likely 3.
Costs massively depend on whereabouts you are but anything between about £40-100 a day I think

childcare.co.uk can be good too. Also - depending where you are - Gumtree can be good if you are looking for a nanny for the one day.

I'd start by ringing round nurseries and seeing what the options there are - even if you decide to pursue a nanny / another CM, you will at least know if there is an alternative option.

Then when you get something fixed (and I'm sure you will, even though I know it's difficult and exasperating to have to do so), speak to her if it looks like there will be a gap of a couple of weeks and I would really hope she'd be willing to keep them on until you have got your new care lined up

Lots of good practical suggestions on here.
I feel your pain... we had an excellent cm with dc1... until she gave up and started a new job, which meant finding alternative childcare quickly.

This was the precise reason we chose nursery for dc2 and 3 .... a cm can be brilliant but unfortunately if their circumstances change, you're completely in the lurch. We were fortunate in finding an excellent nursery but it cost more (full fees 51 weeks a year, whereas cm only charged half fees for when we had holiday)

It really may be best to opt for a nursery because you're not solely reliant on one person

Start ringing round all the daycares now. Ones round here would be happy enough with a day to start but honestly the kids might not cope moving between two settings