How to get childcare space when moving areas

[ellecf]

Looking for advice and to hear your experiences please.

We are relocating to another part of the country. I’m currently on mat leave and have two daughters who I need to find childcare for (youngest from April 2026). Everywhere that I’ve emailed have said they have no space for my baby and I’m starting to feel stressed that I’ll have nothing in place when I go back to work in April (3 days a week). I’m not so worried about my 3 year old as worst case scenario the local village pre-school has space although no idea how we will manage 9.15-3.15 with no external help.

Three things -

1. how do working parents with no other help manage pre-school hours? Any experiences of this?

1. What is the best course of action RE my youngest. Is it better to try nurseries nearer the time to see if they have space by chance? Same with childminders? Everyone is telling me they have nothing for 2 or 3 years at the moment.

1. Would love to hear others similar experiences and how they worked out.

I was very lucky that we moved towards the tail end of covid so nurseries had a lot more space. In 2022, I had to get on the waiting list for my second child before my 12 week scan. I literally told nursery before i told family! Things are even worse now that funded nursery care has been extended. I'm guessing you have got yourself on the waiting lists for all the nurseries and childminders you have contacted? You need to make clear you will accept any days they get available and expect to have a piecemeal approach to childcare (eg baby goes to nursery a monday and friday, nursery b tuesday and childminder Wed and thurs). I know it hurts because it's really not in a young child's best interest to be attending multiple settings, and the frequency of childhood illnesses will be much higher. Your only other options are compressing your hours to need fewer days (incompatible with another child at a school setting), working less hours or hiring a nanny. Sorry it's so hard and stressful.

Have you considered childcare nearer your work? When we moved I had to do that and was on the waiting list for ones nearer home

Childcare near work? Nanny? How transient is the area- if it’s a big city where people often move out post kids you could probably cross your fingers and hope for the waitlist to come through.

And both of mine went to preschool and observationally no one was juggling the hours around a conventional 9-5ish work day. I reckon half had a SAHP. The rest it was either a full time nanny to look after younger sibling who would also do pick up and drop offs, a part time after school nanny, Grandma or a childminder. Or a more niche work situation like when DD was small DH had flexible hours so could start early to finish early before she had to be picked up and I worked US hours so could take the morning shift and then would be working later.