To ask when to start looking for childcare?

[sunnyfleur]

I’m in the first trimester and heard on the grapevine that childcare lists are years long.

I have seen firsthand the way nurseries operate and don’t want to send my baby there for 5 long days every week. I would consider a childminder.

I work full time 9-5 and my husband works in the emergency services, so a variety of shifts. I want to keep my career. I might drop to 30 hours or maybe even 4 days compressed but that is as far as I could go.

My parents live very nearby and would help but reluctant to rely on them full time. DH could put in a flexible working for one weekday off as could I, leaving 3 days uncovered. DH does usually have a few weekdays off a week but this is different on a rolling pattern. I also work from home a couple of days a week but understand that is extremely hard/impossible alongside a child.

I don’t know how long I want to take off for maternity leave, never mind how many days or which weekdays they will be. Do I need to just decide and get our name down?

Thanks if you read this far x

Speak to the nursery's you're interested in and ask them what their wait list is like. When they'd need to know what days etc you can do.

Depends on location. here is SE London pretty much as soon as you're pregnant.

Look at your local options and put your name down once baby arrives

Yep SE London and looked at nursery's when I was around 20 weeks.

If you reserve a place somewhere put down the max days you want and then roll back. So we had 5 days when we reserved the place but once flexible working requests were confirmed etc it ended up being 4 days.

As soon as possible.
Put your name down and even if plans change at least you have a back up option

There is a website called 'childcare' which you can use to look for childminders. I'm SE London and started looking for a childminder about 3 months before I went back to work but you might want to start looking a bit sooner than that (it was 2019 when I looked).

Nurseries will likely have waiting lists but you've said you don't want a nursery.

Do you have to pay a deposit to put your name down?

I thought we’d be fine to do this but my friend says her nursery is booked up until late 2025 which is after when we’d need a place. Crazy.

We did have to pay a deposit for the place, it was £100 but we can amend days etc or we are lucky to be able to just swallow it as a loss if needed

The nursery I wanted was fully booked till my baby would be 16months old when I was 10weeks pregnant

Ring round I'd advise asap

I'm SW England

I live in a city but not London. I found some childminders didn't want to know too far in advance as they wouldn't know what space they had till nearer the time. About 4 months before I was going back to work ended up being when we started looking seriously. If you can be flexible about which days you'll have more options. Childminders might not want to hold a space for you if they can get someone else in sooner

Nursery will have a list. Some childminders too. I'm a childminder personally I would never hold a space that far in advance again as I've done it before and they shafted me. Now I only fill the spaces I have available a couple months in advance as there is always need. September starters is a bit different though as I know how many children will be moving up an age bracket and if I will have a space come available. I also hold spaces for younger siblings if the older child has been attending during mums maternity leave

You need to ask locally- where I live, spaces are plentiful so no waiting lists.

I’ve just been enquiring and loads are full until the spring/summer of 2026… our child will nearly be two!!

Get on the waiting list anyway. People move, etc. Agree with others many childminders won't be interested so far in advance.