Hi

My baby is due in Feb and I was wondering when I need to start putting my baby's name down for nursery/childcare, if I am planning to return to work in either August or October 2010? (not that my baby has a name yet! )

I am based in SW London and imagine I need to be getting on to this quite soon?

Any advice much appreciated...

Cath x

I think this all depends on where you live, how many days/hours baby will be in childcare and if you know where you want to send your child. If i were you I would phone around and ask, some may let you hold a place now others may not until the term before your child starts x

Hi
Sorry for delay in reply. I live in the north west and booked my lo who is not due for a week and half last March to start in March 2010 and got the last place. A lot of it will depend on how many nurseries there are in your area. Also the best ones are going to fill very quick.

I have a 2 year old who has been in nursery since she was 6 months old and she loves it and has learnt so much.

ASAP! Most nurseries have a waiting list of a year or more - as crazy as that sounds! The best thing to do is check ou your local nurseries and gat your name down on a few top choices. Also check out child minders as these can be much cheaper. Make sure they are all OFSTED registered though!

My advice would be to speak to child care providers near you and ASK THEM - they are the only ones who know! We looked round a nursery when my lo was 7 months and he started when he was 9 months so it wasn't bad around us but EVERYWHERE is different!

In my experience, it depends on the hours you are looking for, how old lo will be when he/she starts, and essentially how in demand a particulr nursery is. I have a nanny for lo, though lots of my friends use nurseries, and they have had a range of experiences. Some of my friends had their childcare arranged whilst they were pregnant! Others changed their mind about what they wanted from a nursery after lo arrived. Others changed their minds when lo got a bit older and had different needs/priorities.

It seems to depend on where you live, and from talking to friends, it changes from village to village. I live in SE London/north Kent. Some nurseries have places available now, and others have long waiting lists. I would give a few a call, maybe have a look around and go from there. Bear in mind that the recession has had an effect on childcare provision too - I think that in some areas nursery care is more in demand as it can be the cheapest form of childcare. in other areas, parents are taking their children out of childcare (whatever childcare that is) because one parent has lost their job, so they can't afford it anymore and can't justify paying for childcare when one parent isn't going out to work.

Good luck with your pregnancy x

Hiya
I went around and had a look at nurserys while i was pregnant. I live in kent and in my area there were only a few that took babies from 6 months. After Caitlin was born i phoned up the nursery at our Surestart centre and put her name down, they had a place for her by the time she was 6 months old, they were really good and let me take her in for an hour or so here and there before she started. She is 13months old now and loves it! Half the time shes so busy playing she doesn't notice i am there to fetch her!

Good Luck