Signing up for playgroup/nursery.

[SmallShips]

My DS is 2.4, im a SAHM, but want to put him in a preschool or nusery, when hes three, as it will be paid for. Question is what is best and what does the funding cover, is it all childcare, or just preschool?

Also do i need to think about putting his name down for one now, or nearer the time? TIA

Put his name down now for very popular ones and go and visit them too perhaps.

Think it covers 5 mornings or afternoons a week. I need to check this myself but have his name down for 3 places and hope he can go to one of these. Seems crazy that some parents put names down at birth!

Call your local council/ look on net for up to date info for your area. Should list them all and give contact numbers. Good luck!

the funding covers 12.5 hours per week term time only. It starts fromthe term following their 3rd brithday. IMO you should visit some places asap and find one you like and put his name down asap as the good ones can have waiting lists. Some nurseries do the funded sessions as do preschools. Visit childcare link and that should tell you some of the places in your area. it won't say all of them but wouldbe a good start. i'd also ask around if you know any other mums

HTH

You should definitely be looking around now. Our preschool is full for September 08 and pretty full for January 09. After that there are very few spaces coming up as no-one leaves for 'big' school till the July.

If you are a SAHM, a part-time preschool/playgroup would probably suit you best, and eddas is spot on with her info about funding.

Ask around at M&T group/ tumbletots etc if you go to one, or neighbours....

yes you need to ring around and find out who has places!

Visit a few and to get a feeling for what they are like and also what you are looking for. Good ones are likely to be booked up but no harm in putting your name down in case a place comes up. I was SAHM and found that a morning pre-school session suited us best, starting with a couple of sessions a week and building up to five sessions nearer to starting primary school. You may need to top up the funding a little - our sessions are 3 hours, so i have to pay for the extra 0.5 hour.

Thanks all, just got off the phone to my local preschool, were going to have a look in 2 weeks time, if we like it, they will put our name down for the term following his 3rd birthday. Thanks again

Agree with everything stated here. Amount of funding for the vouchers depends on the county you are in - each sets slightly different amounts per session.
Many playgroups and nurseries take vouchers now but please be aware that the vouchers do not necessarily cover the entire cost of the session. Our local playgroup is "free" from the term starting after their 3rd birthday as the cost is totally covered by the vouchers. However, the nursery I choose is not. We can still use the vouchers but pay a lot on top to cover the extra costs.
You do not need to worry about doing anything to collect these "vouchers". Once you have applied and start at a playgroup/nursery that takes vouchers, you just fill in a form they will hand to you and the playgroup applies for the funding from the council on your behalf. When I started I thought that the vouchers were a physical thing that you got in the post and handed over per session! The term "coucher" is a little misleading and there is nothing really for you to apply for. This saves you having to find the cash and then be reimbursed. All you will need to do is give date of birth, address and show the group a copy of the child?s birth certificate to prove their age.
One of the big things to consider between various playgroups and nurseries apart from cost, is how they are run. Many are run by employed staff and have a committee of parents overseeing their employment, policy and funding. Others are run by staff with similar set up but ask parents to do "duties" on a rota basis. This has obvious advantages and disadvantages depending on your personal circumstances and feelings about other parents being involved in the "hands on" aspect of the session. In some of the smaller groups that rely on parents to boost the adult to child ratio to keep costs down, you can find yourself being asked to do a duty (give up your morning) even as much as once a week. This may appeal and seem like a great thing to do or not - depends on how you feel, how much time you have and also how your child responds to having you around. I was happy to be around and help out but my child hated it - became clingy in the sessions I was there and it was a disaster. My other child loved having me around and it was great.
Another aspect to consider is their play policies. Some groups are very "outdoorsy" and will take the children on lots of walks regardless of the weather etc and other groups will have a very different attitude, choosing to stay inside all morning as it "might" rain later.. Every group is different and have different approaches. Go visit and ask to stay for a taster session with your child to find out. The only way you will know what appeals to you and your child and what is out there is if you do a little research and ask around.
Good Luck. The difference between groups can be HUGE. It can also play a major role in the happiness and development (or not) of your child so take your time deciding.

Thanks BB, just been on Eddas link and booked to look at a couple more.

good advice there,bb