childcare/baby sitters/nurseries in Cambridge - where to start?

[FruitPlease]

Hello all,

Firstly, as a newbie I am slightly confused as to whether 'local' counts as a 'topic' and thus whether I should be posting in a childcare related topic or generally here, so apologies if I am in the wrong place... Please do what is needed to this post...

Am based in the Queen Edith's area of Cambridge, with an 11 month old boy. Just started thinking about some childcare (unemployed, as I resigned from job whilst pregnant in a possibly foolish move....), possibly a couple of afternoons or mornings a week (and can be in my house) to free up some time. Where should I start? Is it a good idea to make links with relevant nurseries (given the dire warnings about the lack of places at good nurseries)? Where can I get trustworthy recommendations about childminders or nannies with slots/babysitters? From you? ;-)...

Thanks in advance for any pointers,
Best wishes to all,
Sarah.

Get on the waiting lists for nurseries you like ASAP. Phone them and ask about waiting list length. Can you drive? Babraham has a highly recommended nursery and is an easy drive from you.

I live not far from you, and I am in the middle of sorting out part-time childcare for my one-year-old. As I'm in the middle of it at the moment, what follows is lengthy!
I looked up nearby childminders on www.familiesandchildcare.org.uk/kb5/cambspboro/cambs/home.page and contacted everyone within reasonable walking distance (I don't drive) regardless of whether the information on the site suggested they had a suitable vacancy or not (circumstances can change quickly and I'm sure not everyone updates their information every other day), yielding one childminder who will probably have a suitable vacancy when I need it (and some others who do have part-time vacancies, but on the wrong days, and still more who sound great but are a bit far away, but if I had to I could invest in some sort of child-compatible bike thing to increase my range).
I went with my son to meet her and she showed me plenty of references and a lot of other paperwork (CV, policies etc) and gave me her Ofsted URN (Unique Reference Number I think) so I could read the report of her most recent Ofsted inspection (the organisation that runs the familiesandchildcare website will also give you these numbers for specific childminders if you ring them up and ask them). Before going I had a look at some of the many online lists of things to ask prospective childminders and made my own list of questions, which we talked through.
I trust the combination of Ofsted and my own observations of how she interacted with me, my son and the other people who were there (that makes it sound as though I took a clipboard and made notes while peering over the top of my reading glasses; what I actually mean is that we all got on OK when we were there, and afterwards I thought, yes this person seems like a perfectly normal, competent, friendly adult).
I also gave in and signed up for paid membership at the distinctly annoying www.childcare.co.uk, which charges you twenty quid a month to contact anyone and takes people's entire profiles offline for moderation for hours every time they change a punctuation mark (but doesn't warn you about either thing before they've hooked you in). I haven't found anyone there who isn't on the first site, but some childminders put more detailed or current information there, and being able to see contact details allowed me to match up profiles across the two sites. That site also features reviews, which is useful, but would be more so if childcare in Cambridge weren't such a seller's market.

Try this website - you put in your location and it tells you about nurseries, childminders etc. The Fields Children's Centre has a fab nursery - Abbey Meadows area so not too far from you. Personally I prefer nursery over childminders as it can't let you down by being ill or going on holiday, and even if you find a lovely individual you always wonder whether your child is just watching TV all day or being stuffed in a buggy while the CM picks up loads of other kids, or being sworn at or something - nursery just somehow seems safer, more structured and the children get to do stuff like messy play that no sane childminder would want to do in her own home!

there is a good section on childminders/nannies/au pair and another one on nuseries in the main section of mumsnet - there is also a good section on going back to work which may be useful
Biscuits -I have used childminders for 6 years -your views are not my experience at all - my kids do and have done do loads of messey play and the older children and getting out and about are a real bonus of a childminder in my view - I think they have had one day sick beteween them - and then sorted cover - and holiday were always given out long time in advance - certain they have not been sworn at - and if the DCs watched tv they do it at home as well.. I have come across poor childminders but also poor nurseries - neither in cambridge area as not been here long enough

childmidner also sometimes have the odd morning/afternoon session free so may be well worth asking OP -

also well worth asking what mums in the local area are doing eg at toddler groups etc - if someone has a nanny for instance might be up for a share maybe or can recommend a childminder
I used this website as well to find mine - turned it into a link
www.familiesandchildcare.org.uk/kb5/cambspboro/cambs/home.page