Finding decent childcare can be hard. If you don’t have any family or close friends living nearby that you can lean on, you have to rely on nurseries and childminders. But with so many different establishments popping up all over the place, it can be hard to know which one to go for. You don’t need to worry though, as Childcare.co.uk can take away all the stress and help you find the perfect childcare solution.

Over 2 million members have used the site to find a childcare solution that will work for their own family and, believe it or not, I used to advertise with them back in the day when I was a childminder. So I know it’s a fantastic place to check out when you’re on the hunt for the perfect person to look after your little treasures.

One of the downsides I’ve found to being a work at home mum is actually finding the time to work. And because of this, I’ve recently been thinking about employing a nanny to help me out with the kids for a few hours a day. If I’m being totally honest, I find I work better first thing in the morning. And at the moment, I feel like I could do with someone to help sort their breakfasts, get them ready for school and do the school run. Because no matter how hard I try, if I start working and then take a break to do these things myself, I struggle to get back in the zone and almost always end up not working again till the next day. It’s a nightmare!

Of course, I could try to get up a little earlier so I can finish work before getting the kids ready for school. But I don’t want to do that as I get up super early as it is. If I add an extra hour or two onto my day I’ll end up burning myself out. And I really don’t want that to happen. Oh, no! I think hiring some help is a much better idea.

Trusting someone to come into my home and help look after my children feels very odd though. But I know that if I use Childcare.co.uk we’re going to be in good hands. And today, I thought I’d talk a little bit about how easy it is to use their website to look for amazing childcare in your area. I hope you find it useful.

HOW TO USE THE CHILDCARE.CO.UK WEBSITE

Using the Childcare.co.uk website is super easy – just select what sort of childcare you’re looking for from the dropdown box (childminder, nanny, babysitter, nursery etc), add your postcode, and how many miles outside of your area you’re wanting to look for and hit ‘search now’. It will then bring up a nice long list of all the providers in your area that may be able to help. It really is that simple. You can then contact the ones that interest you without having to pay anything for using the service. And it doesn’t take long to register for a free account either. Bonus!

WHAT SORT OF INFORMATION CAN YOU SEE?

When you click on the profile of the childcare provider you’re interested in, you can find out lot’s of information about them, such as the services they provide and the qualifications and experience they have that makes them a suitable candidate for the role you want to fill. You’ll find that some have first aid training, some hold a driving license and some are even qualified teachers! I always find looking through the profiles of potential nannies fascinating when I visit the Childcare.co.uk website, and as they all bring something different to the table I find it a real shame that I can’t hire them all.

When contacting the nannies I was interested in getting to know better, I made sure to ask for references and to see their DBS certificate. Although some of them had them uploaded to their profiles already. Childare.co.uk recommend you are thorough with these checks if you go on to interview someone. I’d also suggest that you always get any potential candidates to bring their original copy of the DBS certificate with them to their interview.

I also like that the site shows their availability too, so you know straight away if they will slot into your schedule okay.  I occasionally go to blogging events at weekends so it’s great to see that some nannies offer to work weekends – it’s a real lifesaver. And it’s also nice when they list their fees on the site as well, as you can work out whether or not you can afford their services before contacting them, so you’re not going to be wasting their time.

When looking through all the profiles on Childcare.co.uk I particularly liked seeing the ones with complete profiles best of all. I think it shows that these providers really want the job, and it saves me from keep asking the same few questions over and over again. And I also liked the ones where people have left a review of the provider. It’s always nice to see when other parents have something positive to say about their experiences with a particular childcare provider or tutor.

WHAT ELSE DOES CHILDCARE.CO.UK HAVE TO OFFER?

As well as giving you access to the contact details of many childcare providers in your area, the Childcare.co.uk website offers so much more. There are informative guides such as how to choose the right nanny and interview questions you should ask, as well as training guides for the childcare providers. I think it really helps to have guidance like that. I don’t think I’d have even thought to ask questions about discipline and how they’d deal with bad behaviour. But when you think about it, you want to make sure the nanny or babysitter is on the same page as you before you leave your little ones with them.

So, just how serious am I about hiring a nanny to help with my two children? I can tell you now – very serious! I probably won’t hire anyone until the new school year starts as I have Stacey around to help during the school holiday’s, but I’ve recently contacted a nanny who is moving back to the UK from America at the beginning of August and she’s keen to come and meet us and see if she’d be able to help. I’m keeping everything crossed that she’s as lovely in real life as she seems online, and I’ll be sure to keep you guys informed of what happens in the future.

Have you ever used Childcare.co.uk to find childcare in your area before?
If so, let me know how you found it in the comments below.
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