Patchwork childcare help!

[Mammadibambini]

My dd is about to start childcare as I go back to work. After some nightmares with providers falling through we are left with patchwork childcare.

In September I have a childminder set up.
For October and November, I previously agreed and paid a deposit for a nursery as they had space and I was panicking.
In December we have a space at her forever nursery.

I worry about the effects of changing so often in the first few months of childcare will have on her mentally. I would feel disrupted and unsafe if I changed my whole job and everyone I knew every few months.

There’s no one space that could have her from September that I would want to send her to full time.

Does anyone have any genuine suggestions as I am feeling really bad about this and can’t really decide what to do.

Hi. Firstly I wouldn’t beat myself up about this. Assuming she is little it really won’t have any long term damage.
However, and I say this with nearly 20 years early years experience, could the CM keep her until December? That’s means only doing one change from a home type setting to a nursery. That is what I would be inclined to suggest. If not, then really don’t worry, but it takes children on average 4-6 weeks to settle in at any setting so if you are moving her before that, it’s likely she won’t have settled. Frequent moves will mean it takes her longer to settle tho.
Hope it all works out for you. :-)

I too would try to keep with the CM until the forever nursery, who knows you might prefer the CM( x CM here and I loved my children they came as babies and never left)

I wondered if I’d want her to stay at the CM. The forever nursery deposit is £1000 and only refundable after she leaves, so she has to go there. Sort of unfair as it forces your hand.

Could you afford to postpone your return to work until October, and drop the September childcare? Then just switch nursery to nursery?
OR talk to nursery about if you give them 3 months notice, would they return the deposit?

I’ve already postponed my return to work and we just bought a house so need the money really. I’d love to be off til October. It’s a bit of a pickle

Why a nursery? Why not the childminder forever?