Moving back the UK, but we don't know where we are living yet!!!! - Waitlists for daycare

[itsmeagain81]

Hi Everyone
We are moving back the UK after 6 years in Canada with a 2.5 year old. We don't know where we are living yet!!!!
Are there any dispensations for parents who arrive in the UK but only know there living location 1 month before travel (work reasons) - Will we be screwed on waitlists for daycares which we hear are the same wait times as Canada - 9 to 12 months. Thanks in advance

Do you have literally no idea, or do you have ideas of a few areas? Just wondering if you can pick say 5 likely areas and go on multiple waiting lists. If there is that much of a wait then presumably the nursery won't lose out if you end up relinquishing the place to the next person.

I found that good ones get booked up. My ds was in an amazing nursery for 2 days but when I got extra hours at work he had to go to a little local one for one day a week. He hated it! It’s always worth looking for new ones that have just opened.

No nurseries in my area have waitlists. as far as I'm aware. Some child minders are fully booked up, but plenty available. Shouldn't be a problem getting a place somewhere.

This depends entirely on the area, and whether you want top quality care or will accept whatever is available at the time.

IIWY I’d be very wary of the optimists who suggest you’ll have no problem. They may be right, but it’s far better to be prepared for a long wait and then be pleasantly surprised, than to naively assume it will be a cake walk, only to be shocked if you face a long wait.

I am currently handling enquires for September 2021, and have enough names on waiting list to fill my entire registered capacity. In my area there area usually vacancies: but they are with notoriously poor nurseries/childminders with high turnover. What happens is that I’ll-prepared mums resort to using low-quality settings as a temporary stop-gap measure whilst waiting for a vacancy somewhere decent.

Apologies. That should say "ill-prepared".

(Wretched predictive text.)

In my area - some nurseries are busy, but 2 1/2 is a better age than babies as the ratios allow some flexibility. There are also some fabulous Childminders - with lots of education as well as home based care. Another alternative is to get a temporary Nanny (or Nanny share).
I really wouldn't panic - especially as you don't know that you are moving to an area with long waiting lists.

(I once had to change my DDs nursery at the last minute, as the one she was about to start was going to close - I easily did it to quite a good one within weeks.)

Thanks

Thanks to everyone - Very much appreciated!