How did you find your childminder

[Praisebe]

Im not due till November but i read online childminders often have waiting lists and im going back to work after 3 months so need something sorted for then.
I joined childcare.co.uk and messaged a few childminders in my area to get a rough idea of how it all works and the pricing etc
Id need someone to do around 30hrs or less per week depending on what im doing that week and so far I've had i responses all saying they won't work before 10am or they don't do Saturdays or anything short notice how did you find the right one ? The ones in my area seem frankly bonkers and the nurseries won't accept babies under 18months so that's a no go area

Before 10am sounds nuts. Not working Saturdays is pretty normal though. Short notice isn't normally a goer either as they need a guaranteed income. What hours are you looking for?

We used childcare.co.uk and also word of mouth and local Facebook parents page

I didn't go for childminder in the end but my first port of call was the council (there's a department can't remember what it's called but it deals with childcare and stuff) they sent me out a list of nurseries and childminders in my area

Nurseries don't take on children under 18 month?? Where do you live?

Your local council should have a list of all registered childminders in your area. In ours you can search by postcode which is helpful. Have a look on the council website, you should be able to find something.

Not working Saturday's is very normal for childminders, I think you will struggle with that requirement.

However all the childminders I know start by 8am, some will do 7 or 7.30 if you ask. I've never heard of not starting until 10am, who are they catering for? Where do they find their customers if they don't work until well after most people's work day has started,???

I am a childminder .

Most don’t work weekends . Due to small numbers can’t do short notice.

If you search your local council there will be a list there.

I also and don’t know any who do waiting list and either have space or don’t .

Fill out your requirements on childcare.co.uk though it is very early to be blocking of a space if I had a vacancy.

Has there been a mix up in communication? This (10am starts and no under 18m) doesn’t sound like anything I’ve heard before.

I echo the where do you live?
No Saturdays and no short notice sounds normal but the not working before 10am and the nurseries not taking babies sounds frankly bizarre!

I found a childminder by ringing our local area’s lead/head childminder who then gave me some numbers. I also asked around local friends with older children (I’d met these at baby group though, obviously you can’t do that yet). With nurseries we searched online and then visited a couple to get a feel for them.

We plan our work schedules a month in advance so i didn't class that as short notice and the nurseries have all said they only take 18months and over as none of their keyworkers are trained in newborns. Its all really confusing and im jot sure how people plan childcare unless they work a 9-5 all week every week

It’s not the short notice, it’s the changing pattern that you want. With ratios to adhere to, many setting can’t accommodate different hours each which unless you pay for them.

We have always done shift work but we've basically had to pay for full time childcare and then not used it some days. Nurseries and childminders need a guaranteed income so they don't often do those sort of ad hoc or changing hours. The most we ever got down to was a guaranteed payment of 30 hours a week and then paid more if we used more, but didn't get any money back if we used less hours.

What kind of hours do you actually need?

It is confusing but basically anything external is generally set to run 8-6 Monday - Friday, if you need different hours from that you're looking at nannies and au pairs

If you don't work on set days it can be really hard. Basically most places you pay for a 'space' which is a set day and time, same every week. The shift workers I know have to use family or have to pay for five full days even if only needing to use three or four. It's really hard. Hope you can find something suitable. Good idea to start looking now.

I need around 8hrs per day from 8am to 6pm 4 days a week including one Saturday which is non negotiable unless DH can make sure he gets that day off each week which would be difficult.

I work set days and set times but DH does shift work that's all over the place so its hard to pinpoint which days he'd be at hime with the baby so we wouldn't need childcare for that day

Sounds the same as us and unfortunately you will generally end up paying for the most you would need every week so that you have a guaranteed place

Word of mouth. I was incredibly lucky and took a chance on someone starting out (I did already know her so not a complete leap of faith). She has turned out to be the most amazing childminder.

I’m afraid as others have said it is probably your need for Saturdays and changing days. I was in a job like that pre DC and had to change it as it is simply incompatible with formal childcare, at least round here anyway .

I don't think 26hrs a week is that much to ask for !! Dh and MIL have said they will step in for the Saturday if needs be but my weekdays are 8am-6pm which is really not that unusual so i don't understand why these childminders are been so difficult and narrowminded as a previous OP said where is there business coming from if they don't start till 10am! And after looking online at nurseries in other areas further away i don't see how the ones in my area have a start age of 18months.
A nanny or Au pair is out of the question

Same as us too, my dh works shifts. We pay for nursery for every day I work. If he's off he can spend time with her but we still pay for nursery even if she's not there. This is very typical of what all shift workers I know who don't have family support do.

I don't understand the under 18m thing. I take it you're not in the uk - in the uk a newborn is generally classed as under 3m and baby childcare ratio is for children up to 1 year. I've never heard of 18m as a cut off for anything. Sounds really frustrating. Our nursery is open 8-6, there is one locally open 730-6 but later finishes are hard to find.

Im in the UK

You could look at nurseries closer to work . I do know some nurseries round here who will do flexible hours with notice .

I start at 6.30 2 days a week so not all childminders don’t start till 10 in fact I have never heard of one or a nursery that only takes from 18 months

I've been using childminders for over ten years. They usually start from 7 am ish but never do weekends. They are not being 'narrow minded'. They are self employed so can work whatever hours suit them. All the nurseries I know of take babies from 6 months or less.

This is really really odd. I don't know any childminders who start work that late. In fact the opposite - most I know end up working some bonkers early starts. Ditto with no under 18 months babies. You don't need any special training for kids under 18 months in England or Wales so I don't get that at all. All the nurseries round here advertise from 3 months plus. Could you go further afield for your childcare or look at nannys? I must say I'm intrigued to know where on earth in the UK you are!

Where I live (UK) most nurseries will have them from 3 months. But you do need to choose set days and stick to them. None open on a Sat. The one we use is open 7:30-6:30 but most are more like 8-5:30.

We've been looking within a 3 mile radius of where we live and work and there is virtually nothing available to us will contact a few nurseries again tomorrow and ask why they don't accept any younger than 18months

I too think there must have been some wires crossed somewhere.
There are over 400 Nurseries in our local authority and, at a rough estimate around 20 - 25% of them don't have baby rooms, which means of course that 75 - 80% do have baby rooms.
Then, the only reason a CMer wouldn't have a space before 10am, is if they are already taking children to school and then accepting a different child during school hours. I simply can't believe you live anywhere where 'no childminder start work before 10am'.
Agreed, most don't work Saturdays, but, as self employed people, you might find one.
However, you will (with most) need to fix the times and days you need them. Not many will work on an 'ad hoc' basis, when they could have a FT child instead. Again, you might find the odd one who was willing, but that will be difficult.