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When our children were babies we were very fortunate to have our family help with the childcare on my return to work as the cost of childcare was not something we had ever considered. Then when the both started pre-school which for us included a before and after school care, our budget took a huge hit.
Lots changed and both of our children are now in school full time, however, due to work, they both attend breakfast and after school club. With this in mind though, I now always try and balance out the cost of childcare to that of me working. After all, what is the point of me working for saying £10 an hour before tax and NI then paying out £12 in clubs?! If this has happened, which it did in the past, I have actually applied for flexible working to finish work earlier to save us some money.
If you are looking for a childcare provider, either for a regular provision or maybe a short term/one-off use then you may find Childcare.co.uk handy.
The site has over 2 million users who use it to find carers for their children for a whole host of needs but it also is a place for childcare providers to look for jobs.
Firstly, if you are looking for a local childcare provider, it is really simple to use. Head to the home page here and select what you are looking for in the drop-down box. It is in here where you can select whether you are after a private tutor or more of an everyday childcare provider.
You will then be provided with a list of all providers who meet your requirements in your area. This is where you will be able to look at a few things from here before you start looking to reach out to providers. The first thing you can do is see the starting price of the provision being provided, this will obviously be key for so many people. After all, you don’t want to spend time arranging a provision and then ask after the price.
In this screen, you can also see more on the providers, including the review waiting left by users of the site.
Once you have selected a provider who seems to suit your needs, if you select view profile, this will allow you to see so much more. From their OFSTED rating (if they have one), DBS status, experience and qualifications. There is also a section for them to introduce themselves and their setting a bit more.
I think this is the key section, you can get a real sense of someone from how they introduce themselves or don’t in some cases! You are also able to reach out to the providers on this page, either by phone or email.
If you are looking for a job in childcare, this is also a good site for you. On the home page, there is an option to select childcare jobs from the drop-down menu. This is also a good place for those who may be looking to expand their revenue with home tutoring for example. Parents advertise what they are looking for on the site and you are able to reach out on the jobs that are suitable for your skill sets.
This site is a great place for parents to get a real idea at costing for their childcare provider but also to ensure they can find the right provider for them.
