Not sure where to start- help!

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Hello!

I realise I’m probably going to sound like an idiot in this, I don’t have many friends with kids to ask these questions so what I’m asking may be obvious- but any help would be massively appreciated!

My son is 5 months old, I’m aware of the end of my maternity pay creeping up and know that I need to arrange childcare as we will need the extra money from me working (as much as I’d love to stay home with baby it’s not really feasible).

Am I better off getting a nursery near my workplace or where I live? I commute and get to the town I work in at about 9:30. I know most nurseries start at 8am from what I’ve seen, however if I needed to pick him up in an emergency I’m aware of being far away and if my partner is working it could be an issue as I don’t drive and take the train. Do you opt for closer to your home or nearer your work?

I don’t really understand the help with fees- I can see online that the government can top up your childcare contributions but don’t really understand the requirements to qualify for this?

Also, do nurseries open on Saturdays generally? I’m self employed and Saturdays are usually my busiest day. Do you have to have the same days of the week each week as a rule? What happens if you have to cancel with notice, do you still lose the money paid?

I’m very anxious with the end of my mat pay creeping up and we won’t be able to cover our bills on my husband’s wage alone. I’m a bit worried about it. I’ve been in my happy newborn bubble and financially doing ok but now having the ‘oh shit’ realisation that we won’t manage for long once the maternity money stops. Been trying to read info online and my brain just isn’t in gear to understand any of it.

Finally, would I be better off looking for a childminder over a nursery with baby being young? I have a big fear of him being left or not looked after as much as he needs, I know it’s just anxiety talking but I’ve not been away from DS for more than a couple of hours since his birth and the thought of leaving him is scary! If I didn’t have to I’d stay home with him until he starts school but it’s just not doable unfortunately.

Any experiences or help would be so very appreciated!

I don’t know of any nurseries that work on a Saturday but you might find a childminder. I’d start looking asap if you do need a Saturday one. You can generally do a search on your council website to see registered childminders in your area or where you work and go from there.
Tax free childcare is where you pay money to a government account and they top it up by 20% and then you pay the childminder/nursery/holiday club from there. If you Google tax free childcare it will tell you what you need to be eligible- you both have to be working a certain amount and earn under 100k.

When are you looking to go back to work? Depending on the area, you really need to get a wriggle on.

Childcarechoices.gov.uk is the site to look at for tax free childcare and the new funded hours.

It's hard isn't it!!
At our nursery, you have to have set days, if you miss a day due to sickness or holiday you don't get a refund, if I need to add a day (currently doing 4 days a week) you pay for the additional one.
Tax free childcare gives you 20% of childcare fees, in reality it doesn't it's a max of £500 per quarter

As PP said you need to start looking ASAP, think we secured our place at 3 months for a 11month start date (big northern city) friends now are struggling even that far in advance for a preferred nursery spot

Thank you all, going to discuss with DH later and work out our plan of action! A final question, if you have experience of nursery and childminders, which did you prefer?

There are pros and cons to nurseries and childminders, and people have different priorities and preferences. So it really depends on what matters most to you. Would you be more anxious about leaving your baby with one adult working by themselves in their house, and prefer the reassurance of having multiple adults around? Or would you prefer that your baby has a one-to-one relationship with their childminder, more like a grandparent or an aunt/uncle, as opposed to several nursery staff members who may change from day to day. Do you like the idea of a nursery environment or a more home-based environment. Is there a nursery that has a great ethos of organic food and forest school and stuff that really gels with you, or you meet a childminder you really get on well with and can see your baby being loved by.

And fundamentally are there nurseries/childminders nearby, with spaces on the days you need. Most nurseries are not open on Saturdays, unless you find one near to e.g. a hospital or something where they've found a market catering to shift work. And not that many childminders work Saturdays either.