The Hunt for Reliable Childcare

Author: David Dutch

Finding affordable, quality of child care facilities is a major
concern for many parents. More and more families need both
parents to work to be able to survive these days, especially in
the uncertain current economic climate.

This process certainly does not have to be difficult, but if you
want the process to go as quick and smoothly as possible and
ensure that your baby is going to be safe and protected wherever
you leave them, then there are a few tips you are going to want
to keep in mind to help you choose the right affordable child
care experience.

What is Available

You need to do your research as early as possible. Find out
about the child care facilities in your area. Make sure that
they are near enough for you without causing too much hassle
getting to and fro. Check out the traffic problems at the time
you would need to travel. Ask your family, friends and
neighbours where their children go for child care. Get as much
feedback as possible and draw up a short list of possibilities.
Some nurseries have a waiting list so you will need to be well
organized to find the right facilities available at the right
time.

Make Comparisons

You will need to compare the nurseries that you have on your
list. Take into consideration such factors as how large they
are, how many staff members they have working there, how old are
the majority of the children, the facilities they have, the
quality in child care and so on.

If you are putting your baby into a nursery, you want to make
sure that there are going to be other children around of a
similar age. Your baby will have fun in a nursery where he can
interact with other babies.

When you have gathered as much advice as possible from family
and friends about their child care experiences you can also turn
to the internet, your local council and other resources to read
reviews on the various nurseries.

The next step would be to physically go to these nurseries to
check them out and see the facilities for yourself. It is a good
opportunity to meet the staff. Do the children look happy and
stimulated? Are there plenty of colourful toys and games around
for them? How do the staff interact with the children? Do you
have a good feeling about this place? Occasionally it is fine to
go with your gut instinct.

Child minders

An alternative to nursery child care is to use child minders.
Child minders look after babies and children in their own homes.
On average they care for about 3-5 children. As well as being
registered with the local authority they have to be have a
police check and the local authority also inspect their homes on
a regular basis for safety. They are a great alternative and
your child will be just as safe and happy with them as in a
nursery. I have found child minders to be more flexible, when
the need arises, than nurseries, but that is just my personal
view. You can obtain a current list of registered child minders
from your local council.

Nannies or Au Pairs

Some parents are lucky enough to be able to afford a nanny or au
pair living with them in the family home. Nannies tend to be
more qualified and will cost you more and they care for your
child in your own home. Depending on your circumstances they
could live-in with you. Au pairs are usually foreign nationals
who want to study English and will live in your home and care
for your child. They live as part of your family for up to two
years so you need to be comfortable with having someone else
living in your home with you. They will be responsible for your
child care as well as doing some light housework and they
receive a small wage for personal use. Other expenses such as
their food and travel costs you would provide.

It is always advisable to carry out as much research as
possible, it will give you confidence before you proceed. After
all, you want the best child care experience for your child. So
that you are not worrying all day when you are at work you need
to feel comfortable with your decision. But whichever child care
you go for I am sure your baby or child will thrive and be very
happy.

About the author:
Finding child minders is a task that no parent undergoes lightly
David went through the exercise with his son so he could
continue his full time job it is that experience that is used to
offer advice to other parents in similar circumstances there is
a mass of other information on his web site
http://purelytots.co.uk