They say it takes a village to raise a child, but these days having a ‘village’ around you isn’t as common as it used to be. We are lucky to have a handful of family members close by, which is more than a lot of my mum friends can say, but it still doesn’t feel like a lot. Gone are the days of families living on the same street and juggling childcare between them. If you’re in a situation where you don’t have anyone to call on for childcare it can be really overwhelming to try and work out where to go to get some help once in a while. That’s where childcare.co.uk comes in to rescue anyone who finds themselves in this position.
What is childcare.co.uk?
Essentially childcare.co.uk is a one stop shop for all of your childcare needs. Whether you are looking for a private doula, a childminder, a tutor or a preschool (and many more), you can simply log on and gain access to all of the information you could possibly need about the childcare options in your area. The site has over two million users which means that there are so many options to choose from and also that there are lots and lots of reviews for you to browse when considering a childcare provider.
Is it easy to use?
Yes. And it’s free! You can simply create an account and get searching! You can enter your area as a starting point and narrow down the options to find the childcare that is a perfect fit for yours and your child’s needs. I found 668 childcare providers within 5 miles of my address, which would be a lot to go through, but you can then pin point your search until you find your solution and the right person or place for your family.
The benefits of using childcare.co.uk
One of the things I like the most about the website is the reviews left of the childcare providers from other parents. It is such a nerve wracking thing to leave your child in the care of someone new, especially someone you have never met before, so by reading the reviews you can really get a good idea of the person or organisation before deciding to pursue the option further. It’s not even just about getting a good or bad review, it also enables you to get a feel for the personality of the person or place, which in turn makes it easier for you to make the decision of where or who to go to.
You can also refine your search to only include the people who have the things that are most important to you, dependant on your needs, such as a being Ofsted registered or first aid trained. Ultimately you need to have the peace of mind that this person is going to do a great job of looking after your child, and in the same way that every child is different, so is every childcare solution, so this is a perfect way of finding that match.
They also have a lot of advice on their website which would be particularly useful to someone like myself who has never hired a childminder before. Articles such as Hiring A Night Nanny and Nanny Interview Questions would be so useful for anyone in that position for the first time.
Childcare.co.uk really seems to me like the best option around for anyone looking for childcare. I don’t know of any free services which are this thorough and detailed to help you make that big decision of who to entrust with your child. I know for certain that if we are ever in the position of needing to hire a babysitter or childminder, then this would be the first place I would go, mainly down to the thorough reviews which make a big difference in having peace of mind when leaving your child.
