One of the biggest pinch points for parents often revolves around childcare and childcare services. Whether you are looking for a babysitter for a night out, a tutor or a full-time nursery placement it can be challenging if you don’t know where to look.
However, it is really important that you take your time when selecting childcare or searching for childcare services because there is much to consider. You need to think about the location of the childcare. If it is childcare for whilst you are at work, do you want it near your workplace or near home? I had a nursery on route to my workplace because I needed to be able to do a fast drop off and get to work promptly!
You will also want to read reviews from other service users before arranging your own visit. It is worth checking Ofsted reports and qualifications because this will help give you an indication of the quality of care. However it is worth remembering that Ofsted alone should not be the only factor that you judge a place on, many providers offer much more than just what Ofsted observes.
In addition to preschool provision, there are many other times that you may be looking for some specific childcare or child-focused services to meet your family needs. I have used tutors in the past for Chloe in the run-up to her GCSE’s and A Levels. I am currently looking for a 11+ tutor for Erin too. The 11+ assessment is unlike anything they do in the classroom and therefore the children need some support and teaching on how to approach the exams. Erin is academically very bright but will still need some support from a specialist tutor to give her the knowledge on how to answer the questions and the best approach to adopt when sitting the paper.
Thankfully I have discovered Childcare.co.uk which offers the easy way to find local childcare services. Childcare.co.uk is a multi-award winning online networking platform that helps connect parents, childcare providers, schools and private tutors. Over 1,800,000 people have used the website to find childcare or childcare work since they launched in 2009. You won’t find a larger choice of babysitters, nannies, registered childminders or private tutors anywhere else!
I have put the service to the test by searching for 11+ plus tutors and I was surprised at just how many are listed locally. It has enabled me to draw up a shortlist. Firstly you narrow down what you are looking for and then add in your postcode. You are then presented with a list that meets your needs. You can then look at the profile of each person or provider and decide who you would like to message. I like that it shows fees and availability as this saves time going back and forth with messages.
The site is great for both those advertising their services or for individuals like me who are looking for childcare solutions. It is free to set up a profile on Childcare.co.uk and free members can message. There is also a gold membership option which is the best tool for parents with an immediate childcare requirement or for childcare service providers seeking new customers as it is more immediate and responsive.
Back to my tutor search and I now have a list to contact and work out which will be best for Erin’s needs. The site has saved me lots of time by having such a comprehensive database that allows me to find childcare services easily. There are many advantages to Childcare.co.uk and I can see how much parents could benefit from using the site. No matter what your local childcare dilemma is solutions are not far away.
