Contact your local Social Services department for a list of registered childminders and nurseries.
Contact Nanny agencies and buy newspapers and relevant magazines for nannies, au pairs and mother's helps or advertise locally.
In order to make a choice about the best type of childcare for you, it is important to identify your needs, by asking yourself questions about the sort of life you lead, and how you see childcare fitting in. For example:
• Do you want childcare that is home based or do you prefer to drop her off somewhere?
• Do you want a mother-figure to care for your baby?
• Do you want some domestic help too?
• Is it important for your baby to be in a social environment?
• How much can you afford to,spend?
• Do you need flexibility in your childcare?
Whichever type of care you prefer, your baby will need:
• a special person or persons with whom she can form an attachment
• consistency of care from the same people
• and carers who will allow her to develop at her own pace.
Two heads are better than one
Your partner should be fully involved in the decision-making process, and meet any prospective carers with you. You should agree to an absolute veto if one of you doesn't like someone.
For your child's benefit and future security, all the adults in a child's life should get on well together, because there's no doubt that even if you think they don't know that your nanny or childminder grates on you or your partner, they will learn quickly and play one off against the other.
In the day nursery, look out for:
• a current certificate of registration
• a friendly, drop-in policy for parents
• plenty of evidence of productive play, such as children's pictures on the walls
• a flexible approach to your baby's routine
• a 'key worker' system
• evidence of staff with high morale, such as a low turnover and happy and motivated workers.
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