AD| Finding University Childcare with Childcare.co.uk

One of the first things that came into my head when receiving my University offer was childcare and how I would manage it. The way in which my university arranges their Midwifery degree is in integrated placements; I will have two full uni days a week and will also have to work on placement around this. The hours I work can range from 60 to over 90 hours per month.

It seems as though I am not the only student midwife to be who worries about childcare options. I know a few people who have had to defer their places due to having lack of childcare support which is such a shame.

When researching different childcare options available to me, I came across Childcare.co.uk who provide the profiles of many different childcare options; babysitters, au pairs, childminders, and nannies to name but a few.

When I start university, my eldest daughter will be in school full time, however my youngest will only be in nursery care for limited hours each week. Whilst my parents are happy to take over the majority of the childcare needed, there will be times when I will need to find alternative care as my husband works away during the week.

A lot of student midwives use au pair services which did intrigue me, however my most realistic option would be local babysitters, which surprisingly, there are a large amount of available in my area! 

When it comes to finding the right childcare for your needs, you will need to consider a few things first; your budget, your schedule, if you will need to book childcare last minute, and so on.

I can certainly see the appeal for student midwives to hire an au pair if this is an option to them. An au pair would live with the family, in exchange for board, lodging, and an allowance. They are able to assist with light domestic work and childcare for 30 hours per week; if we had the space at home this is something that I would have considered for our family, as the light domestic work would also greatly help when I am on placement. However, our spare room just about fits my study desk in, let alone anything else.

If you are unable to host an au pair, then childcare.co.uk can help you search for babysitter profiles. Each profile provides a description of the babysitter, along with details of their qualifications, DBS status, their charges, and also their availability. There is also an option to contact them directly in order to arrange childcare services. When it comes to selecting the right childcare provider for myself, there are a few things I like to look out for. The main thing for me is that my children like them. I would also like for them to hold a current DBS check, and to preferably be First Aid trained.

Through childcare.co.uk I have now narrowed down a few potential babysitter candidates and have now been in touch with a few of them. Whilst I won't need their services for a few weeks, it gives me time to request references and for me to meet them in person too.
Childcare.co.uk has helped me so much in such a short amount of time. Before now I was struggling at the thought of having to arrange suitable, last minute childcare, but now I feel as though a weight has been lifted!

*Disclosure - this is a collaborative post with Childcare.co.uk*