Trying to get back to work with toddler

[Concernedcheeselover]

Hi all.

I have a toddler who will be three in November, and I’m really keen to get back to work after doing a course in order to enter a new profession. Please can someone advise me since this feels like a catch-22…it feels as though in order to put my child in nursery and get paid funding, I need to have a job lined up, but in order to get a job I feel I need to have my child in nursery. I’m a bit at a loss of where to start or how to go about taking the first steps if that makes sense!

First child and totally new field of work, so feeling a bit nervous and lost. Finances are tight at the moment, so it’s not really an option to put my toddler in nursery while I job hunt, if I don’t get fifteen hours free childcare in order to do just that!

Most people apply for new jobs while maintaining their current job, I'm not sure why you need your child in nursery to be able to research jobs in the evening when they're in bed?

What is your current financial situation? Do you have a partner?

What kind of work are you looking for?

I suspect it’s because once you have a job lined up there might not be too much time to line up childcare and places can be hard to come by.

Probably the best thing to do is to start identifying local nurseries that might have a space without a waiting list. I would just make a few calls and work out which ones have spaces available sooner rather than later. Don’t forget about childminders too.

if you are offered a job, most places would expect to have to wait your notice period anyway, so you can ask to start in a month and hope to have your child’s place secured by then. You could also bridge the gap using a babysitter in the meantime. Do you have any family help?