Cannot find a childminder - help

[LaArdilla]

I need after-school pickups only. Probably only for 3 months and then I can negotiate with work. Family member promised they would help. Family member has now declined. Pretty heartbroken as I now have mere weeks to sort this out.

Local childminders I've found only pickup from certain schools and none - bafflingly - are my children's school. I don't know why this is so, it's a large and popular school, yet I cannot find a single childminder who will do pickups there. Others I've phoned don't have vacancies, others don't do after-school only. All perfectly reasonable, but I've got no one else now to call. I am just sitting here clueless. What happens now?

Do I ring the childminders whose websites say a school name, and ask them anyway? Should I ask the school if they know of any (or will they look at me like I'm insane, because how would they know)?

No friends; new to area. No family. No one I can ask. Can't afford nanny. No room for an au pair.

No after-school club either.

Somehow my family circumstance plus my location have conjoined into a childcare black hole. I am so lost. One minute I was returning to work after a decade out of it, the next I'm faced with calling it all off because of school pickup.

Do I ring the childminders whose websites say a school name, and ask them anyway? Should I ask the school if they know of any

Definitely do ask the CMers and the school.

Also in my area (NI so may be different in rest of UK) you can get a list of registered CMers from the early years team. We also have NICMA (I think in England it is PACeY?) who have a contact list for registered CMers. Failing that there is a FB group for my town called [mytownname] childminders where people can post stating their childcare requirements and the CMers who can meet the needs get in touch with them. There might be something similar where you are.

Au pair?

Nanny share? Some agencies advertise or you could ask on FB groups etc

Phone cm and see who/what they know. Then campaign like mad for an after school club. We cjose our school cos it was going yo hsve asc. It didn't. The head hadn't got he r act together cos 'there isn't much call for one.' I emailed everyone: council, Mp, anyone I could think of, then gatecrashed a governor's meeting -which had co u ncil members ("oh, giant, are you lady who keeps writing to me?") There is now an asc...and it's full.

You could also
Put advert for babysitter/nanny on gumtree but you have to do all checking and vetting yourself. You may find older person or student on gap year who would be happy to do it for few months for extra cash. A child minder is great but an adult who can entaining and look after a child safely will be second best.

Yes to speaking to the school, they will know who does school pick ups so they would be a good place to start.
If your on Facebook look for a page for your local town and put a message on their for local childminders. That's how we found ours. She didn't have a website.
Yellow pages (oddly) have some childminders still advertising, so have a look in there.
There are websites for childminders looking for jobs so again try places like that. Not everyone has a website.
You could try ringing round local childminders who don't pick up from your school but you might find that your flogging a dead horse. If they have to collect x5 kids from school A at 3:30 and have a 10 minute walk to your school to pick up at 3:30 it just won't work.
If places are full ask they to take your details and call if spaces come available, some kids will drop out over the summer, some will have a change of circumstances.

There is an after-school club, but it has only 25 places and we've been on the waiting list for 3 years. They told me six months ago my eldest is "unlikely to ever get a place in his time remaining at the school" and basically hinted it was years and years long.

Brill, OK I can ask the school and I think I do see a childminder at pre-school so I'll be brave and just rock up and ask her if she knows of anyone. Facebook, too, I didn't think of that.

Thanks, my head's a bit of a mess and I'm not thinking straight.

FFS if the after school club has a waiting list surely they can add more resource to make more places!

Definitely worth asking school. Have you tried any local Facebook groups? Do you have a local university or college that may do a child development/teacher training type course that may be able to advertise jobs?

It may be worth your while calling a couple of childminders who do pickups from nearby schools, they may at least be able to give you names of other people to try.

Really hope you manage to sort it out.

If someone rang me (I'm a childminder!) asking for after-school space I would turn them away and that's assuming you didn't mention the short-term nature of your requirements. I have 3 spaces for pre-schoolers and 2 spaces for school children so only fill them will full wraparound (ie morning and evenings) and long days for little ones. Whilst you might not need before school care, I bet if you pay for it you'd have a better chance of finding someone. I'd ring back every cm that operates from your school and ask what school spaces they do have and try and work with that otherwise considering getting an au pair for 3 months or after school nanny or even childcare student.

"asking for after-school space I would turn them away" - yes, I've heard this is common, CMs don't want an after-school only kid, I get it.

I can't get an au pair because au pairs need their own bedroom and I do not have a bedroom.

"FFS if the after school club has a waiting list surely they can add more resource to make more places!"

Are you angry at me or the school?

I am also a childminder...The teachers, head do know I am a childminder, as well as the other childminders at school..

Go on local authority website..Ours state where we pick up from but still worth calling others.

Childcare.co.uk is another option or a local parents fb group

I'm afraid the lack of childcare places is a massive issue in some areas as you know only too well. Malfoyy, school afterschool clubs all full round here too with no possibility of expansion either.

Lots of helpful advice upthread. I would also post on your town's local Facebook page. Ask everyone you meet if they know anyone. I found my amazing childminder through luck really - lots get found by word of mouth. Good luck .

Your best bet is to message all the childminders on childcare.co.uk or go to your local councils website under family services and search for Childminder's near your postcode and contact everybody. They might not be able to help themselves but may know someone who can. Good luck x

Oops sorry see someone's mentioned both up thread!

I had same issue when ds1 started school I was pregnant only needed before/after school 4 days week for 2mths nothing around I advertised for temp nanny inc with own child found a perfect one in end though work allowed me to do 5 shorter days & DH work allowed him to come in 10mins later so he did drop off.

Then in yr 1 I went back to work holiday club 4yr waiting list (someone else had taken over since more money into it lots spaces now) we struggled to get a cm for days we needed more work negotiations I do 3 long days & 1 short day and DH does drop off 4 days. Ds2 goes to nursery no cm did smalls & after school care. Our childminders only does wrap around care she is amazing but not cheap 😁

I got a number, everything seems OK and I'm visiting next week. Such a relief!

It's so scary when you literally think everything's about to fall apart.