When deciding on the type of childcare, working parents have to consider all the different options available, along with their advantages and disadvantages. Factors to consider when parents are choosing childcare services include:

• the child's needs (e.g. age of child, one-to-one care or care with other children, continuity of care, special needs)
• the parents’ needs (e.g. hours required, working patterns)
• practical considerations (e.g. types and costs of childcare available locally).

Parents may need different types of childcare services as their employment commitments change and, as the child grows and develops, different care, play, and educational needs. The cost of childcare varies considerably depending on the type, availability in the area, geographical location and child’s age. Quality childcare is not cheap as caring for children is a highly responsible job.

Childcare options include:

• relative (e.g. parent, grandparent, aunt/uncle, sibling. This is the most commonly used form of childcare in Britain)
• childminder (a professional childcarer who usually looks after children in their own home. A home childcarer is a childminder who works in the child’s home)
• nanny (provides childcare in the child’s home. Nannies either live-in, or come in on a daily basis. A nanny share is when one nanny looks after the children of more than one family – either at the same time, or dividing time between the families)
• day nursery (run by a local council, employer, charity, community or as a private business. Pressure for places in local council nurseries often means that only children of families in particularly difficult circumstances are considered)
• crèche (a part-time nursery provided by an educational establishment, employer, events organiser or shop)
• pre-school or playgroup or nursery school (provides play time and often early education to under fives)
• out-of-school or 'kids club' (offers childcare for children aged 4 to 12 outside school hours)
• au pair, mother's/home help, babysitter (usually untrained and not registered with Government regulatory bodies, therefore it is not recommended that they have sole charge of pre-school children. An au pair is a young person from abroad living as a family member to learn English. Home Office rules cover terms of employment).

Guidelines of good childcare practice are set down in the Children Act 1989 (with minor amendments in the Children’s Act 2004). This Act specifies such issues as child/carer ratios, and also offers good practice guidelines about day-to-day care that Ofsted applies when assessing organisations, nurseries and childminders as to the quality of their care. However, the Act does not cover nannies and au pairs caring for children in the child’s own home.

Some of the numerous websites offering information about childcare options are listed below.

The DirectGov website provides advice on a wide range of parenting issues including information on choosing childcare, ensuring childcare quality and help with childcare costs.
www.direct.gov.uk/Audiences/Parents/Childcare

The ChildcareLink national website provides childcare and early years information collected from over 170 English and Scottish local authorities, with sign-posting information from the Welsh National Assembly. The website has useful information about the different types of childcare and early education.
www.childcarelink.gov.uk

Sure Start is a Government programme which aims to deliver the best start in life for every child by bringing together early education, childcare, health and family support.
www.surestart.gov.uk

Ofsted is a non-ministerial government department established under the Education (Schools) Act 1992 to take responsibility for the inspection of all schools in England. Its role also includes the inspection of local education authorities, teacher training institutions and youth work. In 2001, Ofsted became responsible for inspecting all educational establishments for 16 to 19 year olds and for the regulation of early years childcare, including childminders and daycare facilities.
www.ofsted.gov.uk

“Choice for parents, the best start for children: a ten year strategy for childcare” sets out the Government's long-term vision to ensure that every child gets the best start in life. It was published in 2004.
www.hm-treasury.gov.uk

The National Scottish Care Standards for Childcare Agencies was published in 2003. These standards cover services such as nanny agencies, home-based childcare services and sitter services.
www.scotland.gov.uk

4Children is a national charity dedicated to creating opportunities and building futures for children.
www.4children.org.uk

The Babycentre website has detailed practical advice and information about work and childcare.
www.babycentre.co.uk/workandchildcare

The BBC Parenting website has a detailed section on childcare, which discusses the advantages and disadvantages and costs of the different childcare options.
www.bbc.co.uk/parenting/childcare

Working Families is a charity that works with parents, carers and employers to find a better balance between responsibilities at home and work. This site introduces the charity’s work but also offers sources of information and helpful advice.
www.workingfamilies.org.uk

The Inland Revenue website provides information and guidance about tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs) on employer-supported childcare. There are also links to guidance about tax credits, such as the Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit.
http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/

The Daycare Trust is a national childcare charity promoting high quality affordable childcare for all.
www.daycaretrust.org.uk

The National Childminding Association (NCMA) is the national membership organisation for registered childminders in England and Wales. The association supports childminders and promotes their work so that children, families and communities can benefit from the best in childcare and education.
www.ncma.org.uk

The National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) is the national membership association of day nurseries in the UK. The association is dedicated to the provision, support and promotion of high quality care and education for the benefit of children, families and communities.
www.ndna.org.uk

The Pre-School Learning Alliance represents and supports the work of community pre-schools in England.
www.pre-school.org.uk

The Scottish Out of School Care Network (SOSCN) represents out of school care and school-aged childcare in Scotland. The organisation offers advice, support and information to childcare providers, parents, development workers and other organisations working within the sector.
www.soscn.org

The Scottish Childminding Association promotes childminding as a quality childcare service. Its primary purpose is to inform childminders, parents, employers, local authorities and central government about what constitutes good practice in childminding and how to attain this.
www.childminding.org

The Northern Ireland Childminding Association is an organisation for registered childminders providing training, information and support. The association works to improve status and conditions of childminders and standards of childcare.
www.nicma.org

NIPPA is the largest early years organisation in Northern Ireland. It promotes high quality childcare for children aged 0 to 14 years and their families, and provides information and training for parents, childcare providers, employers and local authorities.
www.nippa.org

The Wales Pre-School Playgroups Association provides help and advice on setting up and running parent and toddler groups and playgroups.
www.walesppa.co.uk

The Parenting Education and Support Forum is the national umbrella organisation for all those concerned with or working with children, parents and families in the UK. It provides a focal point for information, debate and the sharing of good practice in parenting education and support.
www.parentinguk.org

The National Family and Parenting Institute is a charity established by the government to research, inform and debate parenting and family issues in the UK. There is a comprehensive list of links to other parenting organisations, including specific Scottish and Welsh sites.
www.nfpi.org.uk