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Most childminders work in their own homes and must be registered by their local authority in Wales or OFSTED in England. Anyone who looks after other people's children in their own home for more than two hours for payment or reward must, by law, be registered as a childminder.

Nannies generally work in the child's home and are employed by the child's parent. They do not need to be registered, insured or trained, although they can register as childminders, take out insurance and undertake training if they wish. You can find out more about nannying from the Professional Association of Nursery Nurses (PANN) www.pat.org.uk

Nursery nurses usually work in nurseries or crêches, which must be registered by the local authority or OFSTED, and insured. Nursery Nurses will have studied to NQV Level 3 or equivalent in childcare and education.

A Help with costs of child care can be obtained from tax credits, which have to be claimed from the Inland Revenue, while child care vouchers can be obtained from the employer: both go towards the cost of child care. Families earning up to £50,000 can apply for tax credits and the average payment is £53.60 a week. By December 2005, more than 300,000 families were in receipt of the tax credit. There is also a childcare element of working families tax credit that pay 70 per cent of costs.

Childminders- The average cost for a full-time childminding place for a child under two is £141 in England and Scotland. Childminders usually look after children in their own home but to benefit from vouchers the childminder must be registered rather than in an informal set up such as a member of the extended family. Childminders are regulated and inspected by Ofsted.
The charity the National Childminding Association (NCMA) represents childminders in England and Wales and also offers advice and guidance to parents. It has nearly 50,000 members with more than 400 staff and works with Ofsted and councils. NCMA members have to “work towards” 10 quality standards, which include food and drink, safety, and management of children. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own separate bodies SCMA and NICMA. 

Nursery Places-There are about 675,000 nursery places in the UK with about 85% take up. Nursery places can cost from £131 a week in Wales to just over £200 in London. Parents with children over three get a free nursery place and this too has an 85 per cent take-up. Nurseries usually provide education for a group of children in an educational setting up to the age of five. Ofsted regulates and inspects nurseries as well as childminders and early year clubs. The average cost a week of an after school club in the UK is between £34 and £38 for 15 hours, while a place at a summer scheme was about £77 a week (figures from The Daycare Trust).

Children's Centres A key part of the early year strategy is the government’s plan to open 3.500 children’s centres by 2010, with the total cost estimated at £3.75 billion.
They offer children under five and their families services such as education, health, outreach for parents, childminding, drop-in sessions and support for children with special needs.

Nannies- can cost anything between £250 to £500 a week and are not regulated. They care for the child in the employer’s home but can live in with the family or elsewhere. Some also act as nursery nurses and have qualifications from the Nursery Nurse Examination Board.

A The very fact that you have chosen to visit the WhereforCare website shows how committed you are to choosing the right childcare, and hopefully, will be of some help with your research. Once you have chosen a shortlist of facilities, we would recommend that you examine their Ofsted reports either before or after deciding which ones to visit.

Osted Registration:
All childminders and day-care providers including playgroups, pre-schools, private nurseries, crèches and out-of-school clubs for under eights, must be registered by Ofsted Early Years (or in Wales, by the Care Standards Inspectorate). Registration includes a criminal records check on anyone involved in providing childcare and an inspection of the premises to look at health and safety and educational welfare issues.

You can check that the childcare provider is registered by asking to see a registration certificate, or by contacting Ofsted. If you have any doubts about a provider, check with your local Children's Information Service. You can get the number of your nearest CIS by calling 0800 234 6346. In England, childcare for children aged eight and over, or care for children of any age that is based around one or two activities, or is provided in the child's home (eg nannies), does not have to be registered by Ofsted. However, if the provider meets the requirements and wishes to register on the voluntary part of the Ofsted Childcare Register it can do so, unless the childcare is provided directly by a school.

Ofsted Inspection Reports
Ofsted produce reports when they inspect childcare for children under the age of eight. These reports provide detailed information based on the annual inspections.

When Ofsted inspect care that is registered on the Ofsted Childcare Register, they will produce a letter confirming whether or not the registration requirements have been met.

Investors in Children Quality Assurance schemes
Childcare providers with Investors in Children Quality Assurance schemes accreditation have shown a commitment to quality childcare that is of a high standard, so where possible you may prefer to choose one of these providers.

Reporting concerns and complaints
If you have a concern or complaint you cannot resolve with your registered childcare provider, call Ofsted's Early Years Complaints Helpline on 0845 601 4772. Ofsted does not usually become involved in complaints over fees and contractual arrangements.

A Here are a list of useful links and numbers related to childcare. If you think of any more that might be relevant, please feel free to email us on enquiries@whereforcare.co.uk

    * http://www.ofsted.gov.uk Inspects and reports on all childcare facilities for children in England


    * http://www.csiw.wales.gov.uk Inspects and reports on all childcare facilities for children in Wales


    * Childrens Information Service 0800 234 6346 -should be able to provide you with information about local childrens' services.

    * http://schoolfriendetc.org Schoolfriend etc run breakfast, after-school and holiday clubs across the country. It is the largest charitable provider of childcare and provides services to over 700 schools nationwide, reaching over 175,000 children.

    All clubs are held in a safe and familiar school environment. They offer children the chance to join in a full range of activities, including art, drama, music, dance, sport, cookery and gardening. Children are also encouraged to improve their numeracy and literacy skills outside of the standard classroom setting, using the web-based individualised learning programme called Schoolfriend.com.

    Schoolfriend Clubs recruit staff from the school or local community, including the children’s parents and all receive appropriate training via the special training division Schoolfriend tec.

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• How big is the room that your child will be in-can you see it- how many children does it accomodate?
  
• Do you have easily accessible outdoor playspace
  
• What activities do you offer
• Can you see a sample menu ( also worth arranging a visit around lunchtime to ensure the sample menu correlates to what is served)
• Can they cater for special diets
  
• What is the ratio of carers to children in each age group
• What qualifications d the carers have- do these apply to everyone
• What os the staff turnover like
  
• In terms of costs, will you still hvwe to pay if your child can't attend- for example if they are ill/on holiday?
• What are the maximum number of children per session
• The minimum number of hours/days a child must attend- can you add extra time on and how much notice needs to be given for this
• What is their safetly record/ accident illness policy
• Are there separate facilities for babies ( if relevant)
• Can your child come for a taster session?
  
• ASK TO SEE A COPY OF THEIR OFSTED REPORT
  

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• Try to visit during a reasonably active time if possible, such as lunchtime- children should look calm, happy adn safe
• Are there plenty of clean toys and equpment for children to use- does this also apply to outside areas?
• Do the carers enjoy working with children?  Are they listening to them, being enthusiastic and answering thier questions?
• Is there a quiet area for children to take a nap?
• Can you see lots of examples of childrens' work?
• If there are any other parents there, ask them discreetly what the think of the nursery
• Are the children encouraged to mix with each other and play well?
• The member of staff showing you around should have a specific interest in getting to know your child- if your child is with you, are they showing interest in them?
• Is there a clear routine for children
• How will they give you feedback as to how your child is developing?