Childcare- please help!

[bubblepie]

Really need some advice about childcare.

There is not a single nursery with availability anywhere near me or my place of work.

I have contacted every childminder in the area that I know and none have availability.

I've asked on local Facebook groups and nothing. I've put a post on childcare.co.uk and nothing.

I'm looking into nannies but for 3 days a week it's around £1900/month and as I'll be going back to work part time this would be a huge chunk of my salary.

I have to go back to work because if I don't I have to pay back all my mat pay.

What else can I do? I need it from next Spring so I haven't left it to last minute but apparently everyone else local knew to sign up before their baby was born. I did not know this was a thing 😭 so nowhere has any space until at least September 2024.

Thanks for any advice!

Get on every waiting list you can. Some might have places come available as people move out of area or have their name on more than one list. You have a year, something should come up but you need to be proactive and it might cost you in paying deposits.

Can you widen you search and get a nursery or childminder slightly further out.

Are there any family or friends that can help? Anyone you can nanny share with?

I feel your pain OP. I thought I was being proactive by looking a year ahead too when apparently I should have sorted my place before the baby was even born! Although there are a number of nurseries near me, there are hardly any that cater for 1 year olds.

You may have to take the hit abs pay to go on some waiting lists. Could you also post on your local fb group and Nextdoor in case anyone can recommend someone who perhaps is not advertising on the internet?

@Invisimamma we're on a few waiting lists but some have closed their waiting lists as they are so long already. I'll double check there aren't any others we can sign up for. Unfortunately there aren't many actual nurseries around (which is causing the issue for people locally) so not many waiting lists to go on.

Going further out is tricky as the only ones further out are north to where we live and I work very much to the east with no nurseries in between, to go north then east would add 30 mins minimum to my commute

@TellKingTutIWantMyMummy no family that can regularly help as not closeby and they look after other kids in the family already!

Nanny share is an option which I will definitely look into

@Fleabea reassuring I'm not the only one. I thought a year in advance would be plenty! Hadn't thought of next door so will try that. But have posted on FB and got onto some waiting lists already

Oh dear! Unfortunately waiting till baby is born is last minute at least where I live it is anyway. Do you have any friends or family who can help you till sept? Or even work part time and try to find something for the 2-3 days might be easier than finding all 5 days . Another suggestion but not ideal is to find a nursery that is not desirable like an ofsted inadequate nursery . Inadequate nurseries tend to have availability and just wait till sept for the better ones to become available. This is what I had to do and I honestly can’t see a massive difference between the inadequate and the outstanding one that my child goes to now. Plus it was hell of a lot cheaper.

Do you have a dh/dp? Any childcare near their work?

also i found the inadequate nursery tried so much harder to please and make things right. They really listened and took on board my comments. Only reason why we ended up changing is that it was an 30min power walk in the opposite direction of the train station vs a 5 min stroll.

Try looking nearer your workplace rather than your home.

So if you're due to go back end April, you've got 4 months to fill.
Put your name down for September 2024.
Can you tack holiday to extend your maternity leave? You can also take unpaid parental leave for 2 weeks. In jan 2024, ring everywhere again, people do leave and if not, just use a temp nanny to bridge the gap. If work ask, explain that you have no childcare.