Anyone else have massive nursery waiting lists?

[Alexandero]

Friends here in Hillingdon are getting on the waiting list half-way through pregnancy just to ensure they have a place!

1000+ places have been lost in the last year, with costs up 7% 😱

Have a read below:

www.theguardian.com/education/2024/apr/01/governments-childcare-chaos-leaving-families-in-england-facing-steep-costs

I genuinely don't know what to do. They are so overscribed in London but I'm going to move when my baby is one (currently pregnant and fixed rate mortage runs out next year ) and I don't know where yet so I can't sign up anywhere!

I put my current 4 year old on the list as soon as I found out I was pregnant. I know if someone who couldnt get a spot puting their name down during the second trimester. Did the same with my current 16 month old but yes I agree things are definetly getting worse. My sons nursery closed one of their 2 baby rooms as they didn't have the staff for it

This is the thing, so few places and getting worse to the extent people are having to move 😱
This new government scheme promised so much but the roll out has been a mess and has just made things worse!

Yep I'm 4 months pregnant and already started looking. Nurseries say they are already getting applications for places from autumn 2025.

I was 12 weeks pregnant when I told my DD1's nursery I was pregnant. I did so as I felt dizzy and needed to sit down. They told me to get the form in TOMORROW to get a place!! Couldn't believe it. It was nothing like this for DD1.

This makes me nervous, I’ve contacted a few for summer 2025 and not heard back… assumed it was because it’s too far away…

I’m 8 weeks pregnant and I’ve contacted some that are full until July 2026!!!

The nursery I work at has a waiting list for September 2025! We're full until then unless a child leaves. We're giving priority to siblings at the moment. Staffing is a major issue. Until nursery wages drastically increase, staff retention will just get worse. I earn 18p an hour more than I got at Tesco and I have 30 years of experience. Given the never ending paperwork, observations, reports etc it's so much more stressful than it was when I first qualified. I love my job but with the cost of living just going up and up, I don't know how long I can afford to continue.

Yes we have had the same experience - pregnant and enquired in November 2023 for a place intending to start around Oct/November 2024 and they said nothing until September 2025 at the earliest and weirdly enough they don’t take extra children even if people leave through the year as it “unbalances the age group”.

fortunately we managed to secure a spot at dd1 old nursery due to the relationship we had with them but it means travelling to get there and we had wanted something more nearby since we had moved.

even our local bright horizons has a huge waiting list. N family club wait list is minimum 18 months also - I don’t know how any first borns babies can even get a place in the first instance

it’s crazy!!

I'm 18 weeks, started enquiring this week and couldn't belive how hard it is. Not just waiting lists but lists to get on the waiting list for 18 months time.

I started enquiring at 16 weeks pregnant and one setting was full for the next three years

Thankfully we managed to secure the final space in the baby room in another nursery 18 months ahead of needing baby to start. It's crazy. I thought nurseries would think I was mad emailing so early but I'm very glad I did!