Find Childcare
Use this practical UK guide and search planner to find childcare that matches your child’s age, your weekly routine, location, budget and preferred type of setting.
Start Your Childcare SearchChoose A Childcare Type
Compare nurseries, preschools, childminders, nannies and wraparound care.
View OptionsPlan Your Budget
Estimate fees, funded hours, deposits, meals and other regular costs.
Calculate CostsBuild Your Childcare Search Plan
Answer four quick questions to identify the childcare options most likely to suit your family. This tool is a planning guide, not a provider recommendation or availability checker.
Your Childcare Needs
Select the answers that best reflect your normal week.
Your Suggested Starting Point
Complete the questions and select the button to see which childcare types may deserve your first enquiries.
What To Check When You Find Childcare
A suitable place needs to work for your child and for the practical demands of family life.
Explore Childcare Options
Start with the type of care that best matches the hours and environment your family needs.
A Good Childcare Search Starts With Clear Priorities
It is easy to begin with a long list of nearby providers, but a more focused search usually saves time. Write down the days and hours you genuinely need, your earliest start date, your maximum practical journey and the total monthly amount you can afford.
Then separate essential requirements from preferences. An essential might be opening before your shift starts. A preference might be a large outdoor area. This distinction helps when local availability is limited.
- Decide your required days, arrival time and collection time.
- Set a realistic door-to-door travel limit.
- Calculate the full monthly budget, including extras.
- List any dietary, medical, developmental or accessibility needs.
- Prepare the same questions for every provider.
How To Find Childcare In The UK
To find childcare efficiently, search in layers. Begin with providers close to home, then expand around your workplace, commute, a partner’s route or an older child’s school. A setting that looks slightly farther away on a map may be easier to reach during your real morning journey.
Local authority family information services can help families identify registered childcare. In England, the official GOV.UK childcare search guidance explains how to look for registered childminders and other childcare services. Inspection reports for providers in England can be searched through Ofsted’s reports service. Registration and inspection bodies differ elsewhere in the UK, so use the service for your nation and local area.
1. Define The Care You Actually Need
Write down the exact weekly schedule, including travel time and occasional late collections. Think about whether you need care during school holidays, bank holidays or inset days. A term-time place can look affordable but may not cover a year-round working pattern.
2. Search More Than One Area
Search around home, work and regular travel routes. Also consider transport reliability, parking, walking time, public transport and how collection would work if someone else had to help.
3. Contact Providers With A Standard Enquiry
Give the child’s age, preferred start date, required days and hours, and ask whether the provider maintains a waiting list. Request a written fee schedule before arranging a visit.
4. Shortlist Before Visiting
A sensible shortlist may include three to five settings. Compare opening hours, registration, inspection history, fees, meals, outdoor access, staff continuity, settling arrangements and communication with parents.
Types Of Childcare To Compare
Day Nursery
Often suitable for babies through to school age, with longer opening hours and care across much of the year.
Preschool
Often focused on children approaching school age, with shorter or term-time sessions.
Registered Childminder
Care in a home environment, often with a smaller mixed-age group and potentially flexible routines.
Nanny
Individual or sibling care in the family home, which may suit unusual hours but can have a higher direct cost.
School Nursery And Maintained Provision
Some primary schools provide nursery classes. These can support a familiar transition into school, but hours may be limited and admission to the nursery does not necessarily guarantee a reception place.
Breakfast Clubs, After-School Clubs And Holiday Clubs
For school-age children, compare collection arrangements, activity programmes, food, late fees, holiday coverage and whether care is available on inset days.
Combining Childcare
Some families combine a nursery or preschool with a childminder, grandparent or wraparound club. A mixed arrangement can improve flexibility, but check travel, consistency, invoices and how any funded hours are divided.
Childcare Visit And Comparison Checklist
Try to visit while children are present, where the provider permits this. Observe the atmosphere as well as the facilities. Warm, responsive interactions and calm routines can matter more than decorative rooms or an impressive prospectus.
| Area | Questions To Ask | What To Observe |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Which days and start dates are available? | Whether the offered pattern really matches your schedule. |
| Fees | What is included, and what costs extra? | Clear written information without unexpected compulsory add-ons. |
| Staffing | Who will be your child’s key person? | Warm interactions, supervision and staff continuity. |
| Routine | How are naps, meals, toileting and settling handled? | Whether routines can reflect individual needs. |
| Learning | How is play planned and progress shared? | Children who are engaged, included and able to choose activities. |
| Safety | How are medicines, allergies and collection managed? | Secure entry, safe spaces and confident procedures. |
| Communication | How will you receive updates? | Respectful, open communication with families. |
Questions About Fees And Contracts
- Is the price hourly, sessional, daily or monthly?
- Are meals, nappies, trips or consumables included?
- Are you charged for holidays, sickness or closure days?
- Is there a deposit, registration fee or minimum booking?
- How much notice is required to change days or leave?
- How are funded childcare hours offered and what is not covered?
Guides To Help You Find Childcare
Use these related resources to compare quality, costs, funding and different care arrangements.
Choosing A Nursery
A step-by-step guide to visits, questions, contracts and quality checks.
Read Guide →Childcare Affordability Calculator
Compare care costs with household income and support.
Check Affordability →Best Age To Start Nursery
Consider readiness, family needs and settling at different ages.
Read Guide →Free Childcare UK
Understand the main funded childcare schemes and eligibility routes.
Funding Overview →Find Childcare FAQs
Common questions about searching for and choosing childcare.
Start Finding Childcare That Fits Your Family
Define your hours, budget and priorities, create a shortlist, then compare providers using the same questions and a real journey test.
Create Your Search Plan