Nursery questions

[holliem91]

So my DD is 7 months old and I'm wondering when I'm supposed to start looking for a nursery for when I go back to work.

FTM so I have no idea where to even start.

I plan on going back to work in January so in 3 months time. Have I left it too late? Should I apply now or is it still too early? I don't even know where I stand with covid and what the restrictions will be like then but I'm just basing it on the circumstances now.

Any help will be great

Hi OP,

I'm a nursery manager and my next availability for my two baby rooms is November 2021 and then we won't have any space until a child turns three. Maybe you could look into a nanny if you're struggling to get a space at a nursery?

.....and yet several of the Nurseries I speak to have a lot of vacancies and are worried about their future as they have so few dc at the moment.
As I said earlier - it seems to be area dependent.

We picked a childminder initially due to more offering term-time only contracts (my husband is a teacher). We also felt better leaving our daughter in a home environment with one care-giver as she was only 7 months and would be there 8am till 5:30pm 5 days a week. My daughter was there till she went to school except a couple of 9-3 days at pre-school the year before school and she's become like part of their family. She got loads of 1-2-1 teaching though play time when she was the oldest and the babies were napping and went on the school run and to other childminders' houses, the children's centre, forest school, soft-play, the shops etc. We very much hope our next child (due next year) can go to the same childminder. My daughter absolutely loved it there and started school ahead in all areas and is still top of the class for reading and writing now (and in the top group for maths).