When to contact childminders

[Dgall]

Hi,
Due to very basic maternity pay and being the main earner in my household, I am going to have to go back to work pretty quickly after baby is born. My husband can’t take ShPL due to a recent change in jobs.
How soon before needing a childminder do you need to enquire about availability? We don’t want to be rushing and not having many options when I return to work.
Thanks :)

I’ve had two enquiries for next April already, they asked back before lockdown started, so end of February/early March time. I’ve also heard on the grapevine that a third family will be contacting me for a place for the same time. I can’t help all of them though, so 2 will be disappointed. On the other hand, I had a place from last July till November with no interest at all for it, then an enquiry phoned and started with in the week.

I always recommend getting in touch earlier rather than later and paying a deposit for a space with someone you like rather than leaving it till you are desperate and not getting a choice.

When are you planning on going back? Obv it's not quite normality at the moment. Usually I have spaces in September but they're sometimes booked up well in advance. There's no harm in asking around now but a lot of people aren't having people in their homes so u might have to do any meetings via FaceTime etc

If you're looking at September I would get in touch now, childminders will know what spaces they'll have due to school starters.

I was 6 months pregnant when I looked round and booked mine. I knew when I would be going back and wanted it all sorted.

Look now basically.

There is no harm in looking now but personally I only hold a space for maximum of 4 weeks while waiting for a client to start. I can not afford to have an empty space and not earn. If they want the space but not start straight away then I charge a retainer fee to hold that space at 50% fees.

I first met with potential CM in June last year for a January start. Didn’t confirm Days/hours and pay deposit til July/August time. However she knew she had a child leaving in December a long time in advance so knew she would have a space opening exactly when I needed it. Most CM I spoke to couldn’t say if they’d have availability that far in advance, and those that had spaces in June I imagine wouldn’t have held the space for me for 6montns til I wanted it. I imagine September would be the main time CM can predict they will have spaces opening up due to school starters, the rest of the year it might be more luck than anything else if they have a space at the right time.