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Is there sufficient childcare in your area for parents who work outside normal office hours?





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Parent Information

 

 boy with binoculars girl on slide   afterschool club  two children playing

This section is full of information to you help you to find and pay for childcare and support your child's early learning. To find information about local childcare, contact your local Family Information Service (FIS) by using this 'Find your FIS' function.

Quick guide to childcare

Read our quick guide to finding childcare, including where to get help locally, how to find high quality childcare and tips for choosing the right childcare for your family.  

Childcare information for your situation

Find out more about childcare for young and school age children and children with disabilities, paying for childcare and support if you look after a friend or relative's child or want to start a career in childcare.

Free factsheets and other resources

Get your copy of Daycare Trust factsheets and booklets on a range of childcare issues and childwise, our parent newsletter. 

Parent involvement

Find out more about getting involved at your child's childcare setting or how to have your say about childcare issues.

Parents' news

The section below provides you with childcare news and information* that may be of interest to you as a parent.

 childwise Spring 2012 now available!

 cover of childwise

This issue of childwise features research and information about choosing high-quality childcare, and how you can help us campaign to protect Sure Start Children's Centres. It also updates you about changes to tax credits in 2012/2013, and includes results of our 2012 Childcare costs survey.

 Daycare Trust in partnership with The Grandparents' Association

Daycare Trust is very pleased to be working in partnership with the Grandparents' Association to support them in their work with grandparents who provide informal care for their grandchildren. Recent research by Daycare Trust shows that 36 per cent of families get help with childcare from grandparents. This amounts to 4 million grandparent carers in the UK providing almost 10 hours of childcare each week.

Over the next two years we will be contributing to articles for grandparents on www.grandparents-association.org.uk covering topics such as home learning; communicating with your grandchildren's nursery or pre-school; providing quality childcare at home and understanding the early years foundation stage.

We are also planning a series of workshops for grandparents who provide childcare for their Grandchildren. The events will be open to grandparents, family support workers and children's centre out-reach workers to find out about the work of Daycare Trust and the Grandparents' Association and how to set up a grandparent and toddler group.

The next workshops will be: 

Date: Wednesday 18 April

Time: 09.30-12.30

Venue: London Councils, 59 1/2 Southwark Street, SE1

THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW FULLY BOOKED. DETAILS OF FUTURE WORKSHOPS WILL BE POSTED HERE.

For further information please email Pip Dorkings at: pdorkings@daycaretrust.org.uk

 

For more information on this project visit www.grandparents-association.org.uk.

A guide for disabled parents: Choosing and paying for childcare

disabled parents guide image

Disabled parents often report to us that they struggle to find childcare which works for their family, and that once they find suitable childcare, it is very difficult to find help paying for it. As a result, we have produced this guide to help disabled parents and their children benefit from high-quality childcare.

The guide offers step by step guidance for parents wishing to get help from social services with things like childcare. It also describes what other financial support is available for disabled parents to help pay for the cost of childcare.

Additionally, the guide includes information about what your childcare options are and offers tips for choosing the best childcare to suit you and your children. It covers what legislation and organisations can help you if have difficulty finding childcare, using childcare, or working with social services.

Get your free copy now!

 

New website helps students with children prepare for university life

In 2009, the National Union of Students (NUS) conducted the first UK-wide research into the experience of student parents, which highlighted the need for better information and guidance, particularly around student finance. The new website, www.studentparents.org, is a practical response to this, developed by a consortium of organisations, led by education charity BrightsideUNIAID and funded by the Nuffield Foundation.

Studentparents.org provides a range of online information and tools including;

  • ‘Jargon buster' to provide clear information about student support.
  • Budget calculator with information about financial support and tools  to build their own budget.
  • Tips  on preparing for higher education, including time management, childcare options and study skills.
  • Case studies from students already balancing higher education with parenthood.

Visit the website for further information:  www.studentparents.org.

 

Prepared to share your childcare experiences? Then join our Parent Panel...

Often, when childcare issues hit the headlines, or when the media are covering our campaigns they want parents to give their perspective, and case studies to tell their stories. We know there are loads of parents out there with both strong opinions and powerful stories about childcare to share, so what we're looking to do now is bring these people together,  train them up as our ‘Parent Panel' and let their voices be heard.

Further information.

Become a member of our Parent Network

If you are you are parent or carer and are interested to find out more about childcare and want to have your say, then why not join our Parent Network - it is free to join.

 


*Some of the information is provided by other organisations. Through providing such information, Daycare Trust is not endorsing or agreeing with the content. Information is purely provided for general interest and promotion of others' work and services.

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Online card shop

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NAFIS and Daycare Trust merger

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