There are various options open for parents needing someone to care for their children while they work, the decision will have to be made wisely as your child will be with your chosen carer for many hours a day every day of the week so it is essential that you have peace of mind they are safe and well looked after as well as receiving the stimulation needed for learning and development in the early years. Listed below is a comprehensive guide to the different types of care that is offered:

A Nanny

Nannies will care for your children in your own home and often form a close bond with your child or children because of this; a nanny has to be registered as a child minder with local authorities.

The nanny will provide your child with activities during the day depending on the age of the child and may also perform some light duties around the home such as cleaning the child’s room; the nanny will also assist in the social development of your child.

There are several nanny agencies that will take your needs and the age of your children into account and pair up suitable candidates which you can then interview in your home; this is often the best way of choosing a nanny.

After school clubs

Many schools now offer an after school club to provide your child with care in between leaving school and you returning home from work, activities will be made available for your child and they will have the option of purchasing snacks and drinks.

Some day care centers offer after school care and some have a separate facility from the main day care center specially providing activities and snacks for your child.

An Au-pair

Au-pairs are usually young and often do not have any qualifications in child care as such, they will live in your home and provide care for your child as well as performing household duties, they will essentially take care of the home for you while you are working often performing shopping, cooking and cleaning duties.

Child day care centers

Day care centers can be an expensive form of child care especially if you live in a big city, staff at the centers will hold certificates in child caring on various levels and will have been trained in dealing with problem children and children with special needs.

Care centers will provide meals and activities for your child based on age and some centers have after school care programs suitable for older children. Children can benefit from attending a day care centers, mixing socially with other children the same age but are more at risk of catching childhood illnesses from mixing.

Child minders

A child minder has to be registered to provide care for children and babies, a child minder will generally look after children in their own home and an inspection will have been made into the suitability of the home beforehand.

All child minders will have had a criminal record check made to rule out any criminal activity and they will have attended a registration course and first aid course. They will be up to date on topics such as child nutrition, health and safety and food hygiene.

Family members or friends

This option is particularly appealing as you know your child will be safe with relatives, also your child won’t have problems when you leave because they know the person they are with. Family members are usually more flexible than nannies and make an excellent choice for after school arraignments for your child.

If you are leaving your child in the hands of a carer for several hours each day then it is essential that you have peace of mind and know your child is safe in your absence. The type of care that you choose for your child will affect the options available to you for finding information on your chosen care provider.

Is your child safe?

Essentially all people who work with or near children in main organizations such as child care day centers, schools and after school care clubs run by authorities or schools have to by law have a criminal records check made, this includes everyone, care providers, teachers, meal providers and parents who volunteer their services within these establishments.

The check is referenced using a computer which checks your background for any criminal offences that you have on record with the criminal records bureau.

However this only works for those in organisations and any person you employ through means of your own, for example hiring a carer through an advertisement, background checks will have to be made by yourself.

Parents who choose to hire a nanny, au-pair or child carer themselves cannot apply for a criminal records background check, however if the nanny, au-pair or child carer is supplied through an agency then the agency can ask for a criminal background check to be made.

Day care centers

Staff working in day care centers run by local authorities will have had the screening process automatically when they applied for the position, this will have included the criminal background check with the criminal records bureau.

After school clubs

If the after school club is organised by a school then full background checks will have been made on teachers and also any parent who volunteers to work in the school system, the background check will have included a criminal records check with the criminal records bureau. Day care centers will also have been screened thoroughly to ensure no person with a criminal background works with children.

Nannies

If you employ a nanny from an agency then they will have had background checks and screens with the criminal records bureau before being taken on by the agency.

Au-pairs

If you hire an au-pair through advertising yourself then it will be down to you to make a background check on the person and ask for references, as most au-pairs have come from other countries this can be difficult.

Childminders

All child minders have to registered by law and have adequate training and as such will also be screened for any criminal activities.

What you can do to check the background of a prospective child carer

If you decide to hire a child carer yourself then you cannot check their past with the criminal records bureau you will have to try and find out for yourself if the person is suitable to be working with children. It is always a good idea to ask for references from other positions the candidate has been employed in.

The carer should have references from families they have previously worked for and should offer these to you during the interview. Always follow up on the references which should include telephone numbers, call the numbers and ask about the child carer, questions such as:

• Was the carer trustworthy?
• Why did the carer leave the position?
• What was the level of care provided by the child carer?
• Was the child carer punctual?
• Were the parents happy with the level of care provided?
• Would they recommend the child carer?

Background checks can be made by companies specialising in tracking people and several web sites also offer the opportunity of conducting background checks on people.

The level of information you can find out about a person having a background check performed on them varies from simple checks such as history of addresses, age, if they have children or not to more expensive and through checks including any criminal convictions.

It is always wise to tell the person you are going to conduct a background search on them before doing so and if they have nothing to hide then this won’t cause a problem.

Word of mouth can also be used and friends can often recommend baby sitters or child minders they have used in the past who are trustworthy. Whichever method you choose to take always remain vigilant and on the lookout for signs that something could be amiss.

Sometimes while your child is in child care things don’t run smoothly and problems can occur, these can range from little problems that can be quickly dealt with and corrected to more serious issues which need outside help.

In the UK this outside help is called Ofsted, different countries will have protection and names will differ but basically all provide protection for regulating the quality of day care centers. Day care centers which are regulated include:

• Pre schools
• Day nurseries / child care canters
• Out of school clubs for children under the age of 8

All child minders and day care providers have to by law meet certain standards set by Ofsted and this is the organisation you can get in touch with if you have any concerns about the standard of care provided by your day care center. They will help you resolve any serious issues that you have regarding the child care provider.

What should I do if I have a concern?

Most concerns can be resolved by talking with the head of the child care service you are using, if you feel the problem is not resolved through talking then the next step would be for you to write your complaint down.

The law states that all child care providers must keep parents well informed and deal with any issues promptly and all child carers must have a written complaints procedure for parents to follow.

What will the child carer do?

If you make a formal complaint in writing then the child day care provider must by law investigate the issue fully. They must provide you with a written account of the investigation within 28 days of you issuing the complaint.

This should include any action they have taken to resolve the issue or action they are going to take. Child carers are also required to keep a record of complaints and by law they have to show parents on request.

What can I do if I’m still not happy?

If you are not happy with the outcome after following the procedure then you can contact a member of staff at Ofsted, Ofsted will want to know any key names, times and dates and will want this in writing as well. Ofsted will try to keep your name confidential while investigating though sometimes this is not always possible.

What if I have concerns about my child’s safety?

If you suspect that your child is being abused in anyway while being under the care of a care provider then you should report your concerns immediately to Ofsted. According to the nature of the complaint they will take the appropriate action, if the complaint is against a member of staff at a day care center then Ofsted will ask the center to investigate.

The day care center will have to work closely with a member of Ofsted keeping them informed with the conclusions they reached and any action taken. Occasionally during an investigation the child care provider may get their registration taken away especially if Ofsted think that children might be at risk. If this happens the day care center cannot operate and must close until the matter has been resolved fully.

If you have a complaint and have gone through the procedures outlined above but are still not happy then you can contact:

Early Years Complaints Line on 0845 601 4772