What did you do for childcare after maternity leave?

[Amm868]

Hello! I’m a FTM and looking for some advice on what sort of childcare to use when I finish maternity leave.

For context, I’m not due until August 2023 and am planning to return to work in April 2024.

Thought I was getting ahead of the game and booked a nursery visit today only to find out that they don’t have any full-time places available until October 2024!

I don’t have any family nearby that I can rely on, so I’m thinking that if it’s a similar story with the other nurseries in my area then my next best bet is a childminder.

Has anyone been in a similar situation?

There's such a children crisis at the moment, I hear this story so much. I've just been having parent meetings (I'm a childminder) and the parents who take more than a few days to decide are shocked when they get back to me and the space has gone. I really feel for them but many just don't appreciate the lack of spaces at the moment. I hope you get sorted.

Your three main choices are nursery, childminder or a nanny/nanny share.

There are pros and cons to all of them and it's hard to pick before your baby is even here.

I'd check out local nanny/childminder options and get on the waiting list for a few. Nannies you won't need to look for until much nearer the time, January 2024 at the absolute earliest so you've time to think on that one.

October 2024 is crazy! I use nursery for childcare. I'd ring around a few more. But yes otherwise it would be childminder. Or if others are slightly earlier than October, could you take a years maternity?

We booked an excellent local nursery, which we used for DS2 and are still using for DD. I'd booked while still pregnant, and due to covid we'd just managed a part-time spot when I went back FT. We only managed that because DS2 had been there and they knew us. We finally got a FT spot in September.

I say it's crazy, I only managed to get 2 out of the 3 days I requested at nursery. DD is still home with me on the third day at 19 mo. She will get her third day when she turns 2.

"What did you do for childcare?" - I used childminders, as I wanted my dc to have the closest experience to being looked after at home as they could have.

"What should you do?" - different question. Remember that some people will put names down at several Nurseries, especially if you live in an area where it is difficult to find a Nursery place, so all of those places won't be filled when it comes to it. As in, if Mary Smith has her name down at 3 Nurseries, she will only use one place so places become available at the other 2 Nurseries, even before people who decide not to go back to work, or who have other options open up.
But you might find other Nurseries don't have such long waiting lists.

We used a childminder. We actually went with the one who currently drops and collects at the primary school next to our house, so when they then went to school the contract stayed with the CM but changed to a wrap around care one.

Why so negative about childminders? Have you experience of any?

Where has the op been negative about cms?

I'm a childminder and already mostly full for September 2024. This September was filled months ago.

I had my daughter in 2017 - it was crazy in our area then too childcare wise. I started looking at nurseries in Jan to start in Oct - I looked at 8 nurseries and only one had a place which actually turned out to be great place. Some of the nurseries said people were signing up when they were pregnant!

I signed mine up to nurseries when I was pregnant. With my second they didn't have every day I wanted available when I first registered, but the missing day came available long before her start date (at 9 months).

We used a nursery - booked the place at 8 weeks old to start at 12 months but that was before Covid so a lot more pressure on spaces now.

I asked around for recommendations and we viewed two nurseries, one of which was much better (and more expensive!) than the other. There weren't any childminders within walking distance of our house so that wasn't an option.

The nursery was fantastic - DD loved her time there and it was wonderful seeing her so happy and enjoying herself. The support we got from them as a family was also invaluable (we don't have any family support). I was a bit put off childminders as saw a couple at a toddler group who spent the morning ignoring their kids and gossiping with each other, but I've since come across others that were excellent - we used one for a term once DD started school just for breakfast drop off and she was very good.

Next best bet is a childminder sounds to me like a not the best choice but might have to resort too....

This happened me I had a space reserved for full time at a local nursery when I was 5 months pregnant. Called after having my baby who was about 6 weeks just to confirm what I had her name etc. And they said they wouldn't have a place as less than expected parents moved their children on.
I managed to get a place in a more expensive nursery further away but if we couldn't our next option was a childminder. As we don't have any family who could look after our child ( which we knew before trying and discussed what we wanted child care wise)

It's disgusting the cost it's almost double our mortgage payment each month. But the nursery she is in is amazing and I'm really happy we put her in there.

i think this is somewhat unfair. Our first choice was nursery, because cover if one carer was sick. Second choice, a childminder. Nothing “negative” about that, just as someone preferring a home environment and having CM as first choice isn’t negative about nurseries.

OP, I would put your name on the list for the nursery you viewed anyway. You never know, people move out of area, decide not to go back to work etc.

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I’ll definitely get my name down on a few different lists and hopefully at least one will pan out. Nothing against childminders by the way - I just thought nursery would work better for us because we don’t really have many fallback options if the childminder gets sick, goes on holiday, etc. Good to hear about everyone’s experiences with the different forms of childcare though - I don’t feel as discouraged now!

I’m the extract same position (dates and all). I’m just putting their name down on every nursery (the ones that we visit and like!) as they’ve told me waiting lists are likely to fall a bit as many people do the same. Just hoping it works out but will look at childminders in the event we are still waiting come April.

I would look at other nurseries or childminders (or consider a nanny) but be open to the fact you may have to return to work later than planned (you can add four weeks onto your maternity leave with parental leave) in order to bridge the gap.

That's assuming a cm works alone many co mind my daughter's works at a nursery that has shut 4 times since covid I've shut once for a funeral in 10 years. So maybe the assumption you will need to take lots of time off with a cm is unfair

@jannier

My point was, your response to somewhere mildly preferring a nursery over a CM - “Why so negative about childminders? Have you experience of any?” - was OTT.

Mine are teens now, so whatever. Bye!

I would get your name down on places you like as things can change for families on the list with you.

We went with a nursery due to having no family near by and didn't want to have to use our holiday when the childminder was off.
I also prefer to drop off and know that she hasn't been driven around in someone's car as I have high car safety standards, which most people don't-no coats in car and rear facing until 25kg/125cm. Some people have problems with childminders doing this.

We’re actually finding in our area that people can’t afford to keep their kids in childcare due to cost of living, so more spaces are available.

Our nursery has gone up by £6 per day, and we now pay nearly £13k per year for 4 days. This is for an outstanding nursery, so you would expect that they would have a waiting list.