If you have children, it is likely that when you start work you will need some form of childcare. The type of childcare you need will depend on the age and needs of your child or children.

Parents are often apprehensive about putting their children in childcare, and whether or not you decide to use a childminder will be a personal decision. Research has shown that putting a young child in childcare has no adverse effects on their development, and in fact some people believe that good quality childcare can benefit a child’s development.*

Childcare experts like the Daycare Trust have emphasised that it is crucial to look at the quality of the childcare used, rather than avoiding childcare altogether. Their website sets out some advice on what to look for when you’re searching for a child minder. If you have pre-school aged children, you will want to find good quality childcare before you start a new job, and there are a number of different childcare types available for young children. Before you start looking for work, find out what childcare provision there is in your area, how much it costs and whether there are waiting lists for services.

Finding childcare might be an issue even if your children are in school. It’s not always easy to find work which fits in with school hours and if you can’t find adequate childcare you might be limited as to the jobs you’re able to apply for. Some schools have breakfast clubs, after-school clubs or holiday play schemes. Although it’s unlikely you’ll want your children to go to all of these, particularly if they are still quite young, they are useful sometimes. When looking at schools, find out what out-of-hours care options are offered.

For children in secondary school, you will still need to make decisions about how they are looked after while you’re at work. Although there’s no law which states the age that a child can be left at home alone, and it’s therefore not against the law to leave children on their own in the home, parents can be charged with ‘wilful neglect’ if they are held to have put a child’s safety at risk. Parents are responsible for their children up until the age of 16, and the age at which you decide your child is capable of being left at home alone is up to you. Sometimes it can help to arrange for children to go to set after-school activities so they spend less time alone and you know where they are.

Childcare can be very costly, especially if you have a young child or more than one child. Some parents opt to use ‘informal’ childcare, like asking friends and relatives to childmind, as this helps keep the cost down. Bear in mind that there is no financial help for paying for informal childcare, however if a grandparent is looking after your children while you work, they may be able to register as a childminder so you can receive financial support.

If you need more information, two great organisations you can contact are The Daycare Trust and Childcare Link. Childcare Link will be able to advise you on how to contact your local Children’s Information Service and get information about the childcare that is available in your area.

Other useful websites you could visit are:

• Family and Childcare Trust ‘4Children’
• PACEY (Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years)
• Pre-school Learning Alliance

* Part of the ALSPAC (Children of the 90s) study, carried out by the University of Bristol, May 2003