Finding Childcare with Childcare.co.uk*

Deciding to become a parent is a big decision. Yes, sometimes it happens and the choice is already made but for a lot of couples the decision isn’t something they take likely. Having a child is expensive. I know, I’ve been a parent for 8 years now. A lot of couples take this into consideration. They look at their incomes, what they’ve saved and where they are in their lives before they decide whether they could afford a kid. And unfortunately, one of the biggest expenses with a kid is the childcare. It’s funny how the time you aren’t spending with your child ends up being the most expensive time of their life.

Thankfully in the UK there is childcare funding available for eligible families from the age of 2, and funding for all families from 3-4. Which is probably why we’re seeing more parents than ever returning to work. But finding the right sort of care for your child can be a bit of a minefield. Do you want a nanny or a nursery? And when they get a older, would you be looking for a childminder or a babysitter for those between school hours? Then there are school holidays to consider.. And how do you even know what’s available in your area? Thankfully, childcare.co.uk is here to help you out.

Childcare.co.uk is a website designed to help you find the best childcare for your kids in your local area. It’ll save you hours of scrolling through Google and looking for real reviews of childcare providers and it will give you all the information you need to contact them.

As far as first impressions go, the website is very easy to navigate, well laid out so you can find exactly what you’re looking for and it’s easy on the eye. There isn’t too much information on first glance making it easy to work out what you need to do. The search bar is accessible on the home page. You have a drop down menu of the types of providers and a second box to enter your postcode. The top right hand of the screen you’ll see the option to create an account or log in and I also noticed while scrolling down that there are apps available too if you’d rather browse on your smart phone.

Having a quick go of the search tool to see just how easy to find what I was looking for, I decided to go for “Out of School Clubs” as my daughter is now 8. Unfortunately nothing came up, but I think this is probably to do with the fact I lived in a small town. However, I noticed an option for “All Childcare” within 5 miles of my postcode and the results proved fruitful!

I was able to click on the research results to find out more information and I was so happy to see how well laid out and through it was. First off there is a summary of check boxes, this includes vital information such as DBS checks, first aid training, own car etc as well as points about experience and availability. This is followed by a personal statement, experience, qualifications and then a fantastic chart that visually shows availability. This is followed by official documents that support experience and qualifications and finally the all important reviews.

I am so impressed with how clear and concise everything is. I can see straight away whether or not I’d be interested in hiring a particular person. It even includes information you might not think of off the top of your head such as whether or not someone is a smoker or have experience with potty training.

Childcare.co.uk not only helps connect parents with the right child care provider, but it also helps child care providers find jobs. I noticed when I was searching that there was an option for “Childcare Jobs” and when I looked at our local area there were a lot of posts from parents looking for nannys or childminders. When I clicked on one of these posts there was a similar summary stating what the parent was looking for and the very visual chart that showed availability for childcare providers, now showed what was required. I honestly think this is fantastic as you know exactly what a parent is looking for before applying.

Finally, at the bottom of each page there is a list of links to help you with your search such as nanny interview questions, and nanny contracts. There is also a list of links of general help and advice which is useful for navigating the world of childcare for your bundle of joy. Finally, there is some information should you be interested in moving from the free childcare.co.uk membership to their gold membership.

Over all, I cannot recommend childcare.co.uk enough if you’re looking into options for care for your kids while you’re at work. I only wish I’d known about this when LM was little!