childcare combinations for 2 children - can't decide!

[citybranch]

Hi,
I posted a few weeks back, thinking a nanny would be best for our family but since looking into it a bit closer it is quite expensive and involved. I have been looking at other solutions but with 2 children it is not as easy as it seems!

Have just found out that a part time weekend job at work will become available to me in Autumn 2010 so I wouldn't need childcare at all then. So all these arrangements are relatively short term.

DS aged almost 3 goes to a lovely v.reasonably priced Nursery 3 afternoons a week (has done this through my maternity leave). It is walking distance away.

Was chatting to nursery manager and she mentioned they had places becoming available for the 5 afternoons a week and would I like to up DS's hours? As he's turning 3 as well he'll be eligible for the 3-4 funding too so jumped at it in preperation for my return to work in Feb.

So plan was then to find a CM to look after DD (will be 9mo) full time and DS in the mornings, with a drop off for DS at the nursery for 1pm. I liked the idea of them being together in the mornings for DD's sake being quite young.

I can't find many CMs who want to do this, they all have a full time places but don't want to take my DS (don't want to be tied to the local area for drop off etc).

There is one CM just starting out who will do it, but she lives a 20min (unreliable) bus ride away and I don't drive a car. The travel there is putting me off. The 8 CMs who live a short walk from me have all said they can't do the nursery drop/don't have morning vacancies.

So should I:
Put both DCs in the faraway CMs and put up with bus rides for 6 months or so

Take DS out of nursery to put in fulltime with a local CM (lose govt funding and have to resettle him)

Put DD in with CM fulltime and hope I can up DSs hours to fulltime at the nursery nearer the time (no spaces just now but may be some after xmas)

Or something else?
I know I still have a few months but I'm a worrier and can't bear to leave until the last minute. Any other ideas?

Is there a nursery attached to the school your ds will be going to ( if you know which one that is!) If you put him in a nursery attached to school you might find it easier to find a CM who will do the drop off as they already do so for school pupils, also you will have a cm ( if you need one)to do the drop off/pick up when your ds starts school.

Child care is a nightmare isnt it!!

Hmmm, there is a nursery attached to school (school is a few metres away from my house). Will try and look into that possibility! thanks for the idea!

I feel silly always asking for advice on here, but I only have a couple of friends who are parents and they get family help with childcare. I try and discuss it with DH but he doesn't seem to have an opinion..looks blank!

Is one of the 8 childminders accredited? In which case they can draw the funding for your sone, which would knock a fair chunk off your bill.
just somethink to think about.

Sally x x

I don't think any of them are, they never mentioned it when I told them i'd loke hm to stay at the nursery to make the most of the funding. Good thinking though!

Could you not do 3 full days at the nursery,and 2 full days at a cm. As a cm myself I wouldn't want to do a 1pm drop off every day, thats usually when children would be having a sleep.

Danthe4th - Agreed, a very good point actually. I didn't really think it through, when the nursery manager mentioned the afternoons I just jumped at it because I know the nursery has been full.
I'm not sure what availibility the nursery have in the mornings but it is definitely an option.