How to find a nursery/shift workers...help!!!!

[MusicMum18]

Hi,
I go back to work in March, hopefully 3 days per week. Getting stressed about it as my dh works shifts so we need somewhere flexible. I'm dreading it, and am getting anxious about leaving dd, but more so as I have no idea how to find the right nursery for us!

I'm dreading the lack of routine for dd and me, my dh doing shift work has always been hard and I don't know how we'd manage, are there any shift workers out there that can offer advice?

I'm planning on getting a short list of nurseries off the internet, and then visiting some of them. Are all nurseries ofsted'd? Some of the reports are not easy to find! Is there a website where you can compare nurseries, or see reviews etc. the ones on the websites are obviously to promote the nurseries so not sure I can rely on them!

Trying to research on the internet, but are there any good websites/places to look? Our search area is between Skipton and Bradford.

Thanks in advance for any help,

You might find it easier to find a nursery which covers your three days, rather than trying to flex to DH's shifts.

Just get a list of nurseries (and maybe CMs) from your local authority and contact them all.

If you look on the ofsted website
It tells you all registered places in your area and has links to reports etc.

My nursery is just next to a hospital and is pretty flexible to attract itself to shift workers.

Make a list of nurseries then read the reports on actual Ofsted site

Then decide which to visit.

I think you will struggle to find a nursery that will allow you to chop and change days each week. I agree with pp I would try to find one which covers your 3 days.

Alternatively maybe a childminder might offer more flexibility

I am a hospital doctor, working shifts- though evening/night shifts less frequent than long days peppered in. I'm full time so we have nursery Monday-Friday; on my zero hours days/late shifts she stays home with me. You may find a childminder willing to accommodate shifts if you give enough notice ahead of time, but in my area the nurseries were more flexible than most of the childminders I met- for example I usually pick DD up between 2-3pm if I've worked the night before but that interferes with school run time so suited me better to have a nursery I could arrive at at any time.

Find out which nursery's /childminders others at DH's work uses. We found some nursery's were more accommodating to shift flexibility than others.
If they are flexible, you may well find you have to commit to one day a week, and pay for that day whatever, and then add in the other days you need that week as required. So, say you work MTW, agree you will pay for wednesday each week whatever shifts DH is on, and then, as far in advance as you know DHs shifts, book in Mon and Tues as required. The further in advance you know his shifts, the better, as you are relying on others not taking that space. The safets, and most expensive way, is to have all three of your work days booked in, and not use some of them. Then you know you have a space the days you work.

Tops day nurseries and busy bees both cover shift patterns. I think.Leap frog might do too.

That's area dependant. Busy Bees with us didn't cover shifts.

Thanks so much everyone for your help! I'll look into those nurseries suggested, get dh to ask around and look into childminders. Thanks again xxx

DP does shifts, I remember having this panic before I went back to work!

Make plans to just cover your 3 days, if you can. Then if your DH is off he can do a drop off or pick up, or sometimes have DD at home himself.

We went for childminders when DD was little as I felt more confident that they understood the nature of shift work and so were more flexible if things went wrong (DP is police). I was f/t too so it was a difficult juggle for what hours we needed. In the end we went through several months average childcare, then agreed a minimum fee per month that was acceptable to the CM for using up essentially a f/t place. If we used less hours, that was our loss; if we used more hours, we paid by the hour for them.

We've moved to nursery now DD gets her 15 hours funding. The CM was definitely the right choice while DD was younger, but now she's 4 we're less worried about keeping her in childcare for the odd long day, so nursery is much less stressful.