Booking nursery place in advance

[Strawberry06]

I'm 28 weeks pregnant but people have been telling me I should be booking nursery place now!

There's a lovely nursery in the village where we live (outstanding) and I would love our son to go there. I've already reached out to them for a brochure/fees etc - though I think with the new government changes we'd be entitled to free hours?

Anyway my paid maternity will officially end at the end of October, but I'll have pretty much a months worth of holiday accrued and so I plan to return to work in January 2025. Hopefully 4 days a week but I won't know if this is possible until nearer the time.

My parents will look after my child 2 days per week so it would only be 2 days per week in nursery.

Is it worth looking round the nursery now even though they wouldn't be going until 2025 or can I just book a place now?

Confused as to how it all works! Thanks!

I booked ours in advance. When she was first born even though she wasn't going for a year. Glad I did because a few months after me my cousin couldn't get a space.

Id definitely enquire now.

Yes it can’t hurt to go and look at them now. When we were looking at nurseries for urgent childcare, they all had very long waits except for one that had just opened.

I’d also say carefully budget the maximum for nursery fees just in case. I’m not 100% confident that the new free hours will come into place. Especially if a new government is elected.

Call the nursery! If it’s too soon let them tell you that, but I really doubt it will be. And I’d be shocked if the new free hours ever happen so make sure you budget allows for you to afford it without.

Very area dependant, so I would get in touch with them.

Also, you may find that when you view you don't love it as much as you expect, so good to have plenty of notice if you need to look elsewhere.

And yes, I wouldn't count on the new hours. Even if it comes in nurseries won't be able to afford to offer it.

I viewed nurseries when I was 35 weeks pregnant and put my daughter's name on the waiting list when she was 1 month old. I was going back to work when she was 9 months with zero family support nearby so I wanted to make sure it was sorted ASAP.

There are many, many posts on our local social media pages with parents searching (increasingly desperately!) for childcare. Some who have just moved to the area, others who are 'returning to work in a couple of months and need a full time place', usually for a baby so the ratios are quite low, meaning places are even more in demand. There is very little chance any of them will find a place in our area within a year, and waiting lists are crazy for the nurseries and local childminders as there is so little provision compared to demand. I know a fair few people who work from home but have to do a commute to take their child to nursery as there is nothing available locally. I also know of a few families where one parent has had to give up work or both reduce hours as they can't get a place.

I registered my second child at a private nursery when I was 18 weeks pregnant and paid the deposit soon after. Even then, I was told a place wasn't guaranteed (I felt like replying 'neither is the child' at that point!) but we were added to a waiting list... It worked out fine but I would be cautious about saying upfront that you only want 2 days - this is much less attractive than someone who wants a full time place, unless you are 100% flexible and your space could therefore be made to fit around another child attending for 3 days. Also check their policy on bank holidays. Judging by the email sent out, a lot of parents were unimpressed when our nursery gave their staff the extra days off for the Queen's funeral and the coronation. Our nursery is open on bank holidays like Easter Monday but closes for two weeks over Christmas, so if you're expecting to work between Christmas and NY, you may need a back-up plan.

It doesn't hurt to look early. We registered my daughter at 3 weeks for our nursery, covid so no chance of tours. You can change the return date later if needed.
My friend registered her soon before he was born as she knew they had a waiting list.

We moved when my daughter was 2. We viewed two nursery one that had a space available immediately which was suspicious no good nursery has availability immediately. Our suspicions were confirmed after the tour and they were closed after the fire services reported them to Ofsted 6 months later. The other nursery had a space 2 months later and only because it was at the start of a new academic year which freed up more space in the nursery as the only ones started school. Other times of the year they have less availablity so the timing of your start date can play a role in whether there is a space available

Area dependent. Where i live most nurseries have 12 month waiting lists, and the new funding coming in isn't guaranteed as not all nurseries will offer it if they don't get anough money from the gov per funded hour

I think we put out first child on waiting list before she was actually born. We put her down for a full week even though i thought we'd only need 4 days . I wasn't sure which days and it's a lot easier to drop a day nearer time than add one on

We signed up a month after DD was born and barely managed to get a place for 12 months so i’d definitely sign up now plus you are likely to be too busy/tired to think about it after the baby is born.

I'm a provider and have no spaces until 2026. I get ever increasingly, and repeated, calls from parents asking if this has changed yet.

Thanks all, well I've contacted them and arranged a visit in December. I said in my enquiry it would be from January 2025 and they haven't said they are full...

Out of interest, does anyone know what sort of deposit is required? Obviously I will ask when we go.

Our deposit was £100.
Don't rely on the free/funded hours though. My DS turns 2 in January and I've heard nothing although he should be entitled to 15 hours from March/April. I'm fully prepared to pay what I have been until the following year when his 30 hours will come in. If he does get the 15 hours then it's a bonus.

Same £100 deposit I'm not sure if we got it back when we left. I think we were meant to but things were chaotic at the time so I didn't check

Ha I told nursery before I told my mum... at 9 weeks. On the website it says in bold letters that you can't apply til you are actually pregnant. Still, we are in an area with a shortage of places!

I had my daughter down for a nursery place before she was born. This was considered perfectly normal by the nursery, especially as we needed certain dates

I work in a university and our campus nursery has one enrollment window for the following 22 months so we had to enrol DC2 before they were born though they didn't start till they were 11 months.

Get on the list and you can always not take up your place if you end up not liking or needing the nursery.

DD went on the nursery list at 3 months old and there was already another baby on the list. She is starting next sept age 2.5.

This is new around here as both my boys started on a whim when I thought they were ready, no long waiting lists around here 5 & 6 years ago!

Very area and setting dependent. I've never had a problem getting my kids in, but my friend in the next town missed out on a lovely setting because she hadn't joined the list from birth!! So doesn't hurt to look.

We put our youngest down when I was 8 weeks pregnant because the waiting list is 18 months.

I put my baby down on a nursery waiting list when I was 6 weeks pregnant. This baby will be 2 in January.

News article this morning!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-67274943

As soon as I had my 12 week scan, I started looking at nurseries and added baby to waiting lists. I'm expecting twins this time and did the same.

Our deposit was £75.

Providers know as much as parents at the moment. Government haven't deemed it necessary to share details yet. I'm sure your nursery will tell you more when they know but you have the right attitude. Then you won't be disappointed and anything more is a bonus.

@KateyCuckoo oh definitely, I wasn't slagging our nursery off.

I think people also need to be aware as well that it is unlikely to be 'free' even if they get the hours. Ours charges a top up for the 30 hours (which I'm more than happy to pay as I know it's not funded correctly), plus they have certain stipulations that the child has to attend a minimum of 3 days and it has to be year round (they offer term time only contacts as well but not for the funded hours). My DDs hours would've come in during covid however nursery closed during lockdown plus I was furloughed so she ended up starting at the school nursery instead of going back to the private one when it reopened. If she had have gone back I worked out my bill wasn't much less however it did mean I would've got an extra day. I think parents who haven't gone through it before automatically think they'll be getting an invoice for 0 when the hours come in which isn't the case.