is it better to have childcare close to home or close to work?

[Helenc19]

Currently looking for a new part time job and have an interview soon, I will need childcare for my 11m ds.
Theres options in both locations, Im sure theres pros and cons for each, so far I have:
I dont drive so if ds went to a CM or nursery near work I would take him on the bus, if it was near home I could get the bus or cycle to work ( dont want to cycle with ds on bike)
will be dlightly cheaper near home.
childminder near home would be useful for occasions when not at work and need them.
Is there anything else to consider?

I used to commute and decided on near home because;

Don't have to change childcare if you change your job.
Can use childcare on your day off.
Get to meet other local children and parents who your DS might go to school with.
Near home also means you might have family available to collect if he's sick?

Home. Less far to take a sick child home and it's a nightmare doing a commute with baby too.

Near home, for the reasons given above. Also, after you pick up, you don't have to do the long commute home at rush hour with a tired, hungry and grumpy child in tow.

Might other people ever collect DS?
Is his Dad about? What direction does he work? For us, DH and I work in opposite directions, so the kids are close to home. It means either of us can collect and drop off. We are also walking distance from nursery, and on occasion my Mum has driven up, collected the kids from Nursery, and spent an hour with them before I get home (and then stayed the night, and taken them back the next morning).
Several years in the future, but DS1 is also at school with people he was at nursery with.

However, I have heard people say having them next to work means you get more time with them (in the car / bus), or collecting them if they are ill. It also makes early starts at work easier, as you don't have to wait for nursery to open, and then do the travel - tho if you are talking about biking, I guess it isn't too far?

We have no family in the area, but next week I am collecting a friends kids who are at the same nursery, and bringing them all back here, due to a shift clash. I wouldn't be able to do this if we didn't live close to each other, and close to nursery (we'll be walking home, except for the baby, who will be in the old pushchair).

Good luck with the interview - if you think you might change job, closer to home is better!

Thanks some really helpful points, DP wouldnt be able to collect him as he works late and we dont have any family close by but do have a few friends that might be able to get him if hes sick.
I was thinking it would be nice to have the time on the bus with him rather than being on my own but is it would be nicer for him to be having fun at the childminder rather than being on a crowded bus

I have a minded child who lives half hr away. But her mum works round the corner. It works well for us as close to her work & she loves car journey together - her & her baby.

I have a teachers child who works round the corner from me, she lives 40min drive away

She can get her work done and leave work at 5.30 instead of doing it once baby in bed

Baby only been with me 2mths as was at a nursery nr home but mum had to keep missing meeting etc to set off in teatime traffic

Always near home

Travelling to work with a little baby is fine. Once they get to toddlers and tired at end of day your commute is hell def if on a packed train and nowhere to sit

They also fall asleep while travelling if in car so bedtime can be delayed

If you change job then may need to move child

When at pre school age you will either change again or any friends theyay make you won't see often if at all if by work then home

Having a commute after work with no kids can get your brain recharged after a busy day

If have day off work you can still send to childcare if need a few hours to do something

Other parent can drop off / pick up easier if near home - having all childcare delegated to you (if near work) is stressful and you may resent partner not doing it ever

For us near home (though nursery is at work as we have no choice in that one), as DH commutes by train and we live near the train station, so he can pick up DS at the CM but it's more or less impossible at nursery.

The thing about a CM though is that they are more likely to be able to do longer hours if booked in advance - our nursery hours are inflexible. So if I was definitely going to a late meeting, or I'm away and DH is picking up, she will do a late or early hour if we arrange it in advance (we wouldn't take the pee and do it without telling her beforehand though).

I used to take dd and ds to nursery near work. Mainly because I have to be in work early so I could drop them when nursery opened and be at my desk 10 mins later for 7.45am. I loved the extra time with them on the commute and they enjoyed the DLR and chatting about their day, however, commuting with 2 pre-schoolers was by no means the easy option. And when I was on mat leave with dc2, I was flogging up and down to work every day to drop dc1 off at nursery, go home with dc2 and then go back to collect him. Now dc1 is at school, they go to a cm close to home which does make my life easier, but I do miss that extra time each day with them. And it is a very valid point that on the odd occasion they were ill I could be with them within 10 mins, I also got to go to nursery sports days, nativity plays, Easter parades etc in my lunch hour which was good.

I used to take DS near work because I couldn't drop him off and then get to work on time. However, if I was doing it again I'd go nearer home so there was a greater chance that he started school with someone he new from nursery. Most of the kids in his class know each other from nursery so it's been harder for him to make new friends.

We have done both and I definitely think childcare near home is easier . No long drive /commute with dc and they have friends near home . Even with nursery near work I was always rushing to leave work on time to collect . Also because the nursery was near my work I did all drop off and pick up.

Oh very good poinr about going on MAT leave with dc2, if he was near work that would be hard. Didnt get the job :-( but hopefully something rlse will cone up