Where did you find your childminder ?

[WiseKat]

Happy New Year everybody !

How did you select your child minder and where did you find them?

I recently relocated back to the UK but this time with a 7-year old DD . We are now based in Manchester area.

I am in final stages of my job hunt , so now starting to think how I will manage full-time work and school runs/potential sicknesses. My job promised some flexibility , but obviously will need to lean in at the start of this new job and focus and work hard.

My husband is flexi and will look after our DD but he will need to travel in mid February , so I am thinking I will need a help of a child minder.

Would appreciate any advice .

Thanks !

My DS went to a childminder for a year until we moved him to nursery.

Nursery was by far better and I regret not sending him there to begin with.

We found childminder through a friend so can't advice there I just thought I'd share my personal experience :)

Ignore that it's clearly irrelevant and in hungover / possibly still drunk.

My bad

I would try your local authority. Ours had a booklet of all nurseries and registered childminders. Also a phone number you could call to ask for advice. We then went and visited a few

Childcare.co.uk.

However, she was also recommended by the person we purchased the house from, randomly someone that I worked with in a different area and on the local Facebook pages where people had asked.

I went to the local school and looked out for childminders and specifically looked at how the children interacted with CM. I couldn't have chosen better x

I saw my CM looking after other children at school and a playgroup setting so asked who she was. We had tried nursery it didn’t work for my youngest at all but an amazing CM looked after her from 1-9yrs including after school and holidays. I’d ask around, and check registered with Ofsted.

A childminders won't take sick children. See if your school runs a breakfast and afterschool club. They normally open between 0730-0800 provide breakfast. Some are based in the school or like the one we use is based in the youth club next door. The afterschool club will be straight from school and normally run until 530-6pm. Also check for holiday clubs in the area.

Families information service on your local council website will have a list of registered childminders . They also say which schools they collect from. You pay for a place though, so if your child doesn't attend there will still be a fee. School clubs can be cheaper/more flexible.