Your choice of childcare depends on the hours you work, your transport options and other commitments you may have such as school-runs for older children or studying. You can place your child with more than one childcarer. Some parents use a combination of a childminder and a pre-school/nursery to suit their requirements.
The activities your child will take part in vary depending on the childcare provider and your child’s age. Registered childcare for 0-5 years will follow the Early Years Foundation Stage framework, a set of standards the childcare provider must follow to help your child learn and develop.
EYFS focuses on learning through play. The areas of learning are:
- communication and language
- physical development
- personal, social and emotional development
- literacy
- mathematics
- understanding the world
- expressive arts and design
Childcare providers also have a duty to consider how best to offer extra support for children with a disability or special educational needs – talk to the provider about any specific requirements your child has.
If you’re struggling to secure childcare and need some help – email us at fis@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or give us a call on 023 9268 8830.
- 2020 Portsmouth Childcare Sufficiency Assessment – This assessment provides an overview of childcare sufficiency in Portsmouth, looking at the current level of supply and demand of childcare across the city, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tips on finding childcare
- It is important to start looking early – good childcare can get booked up quickly and you may experience long waiting lists.
- Research all your options and be prepared with a list of questions to help with your decision-making (some useful questions can be found below).
- Visit the setting to get a feel for the day-to-day routine, and take your child with you to see whether they like it too.
- Visit more than one provider, so that you can make comparisons.
- Think about your child’s age and needs, for example, if they are very young they may need one to one attention and care, whilst older children may prefer to mix with other children.
- Once you’ve chosen the right one for you, tell them of any particular needs your child has, such as dietary requirements or allergies. You could also share your child’s health and development review that is completed with your health visiting team.
- Make sure you get a contract or agreement to sign but read carefully first to make sure everything you’ve agreed is written down.