A platform for childcare in the most challenging of times.

The site childcare.co.uk is a multi-award-winning online networking platform that helps connect parents, childcare providers, schools, and private tutors. Parents, childcare providers, and tutors can also create a free profile advertising their requirements or services on the site too.

It is easy to register on the website and takes minutes. Registration is free and if you have a Facebook account you can log in through that or you can type in your email address, your chosen screen name, your date of birth, postcode and then chose the parent or service provider option.

The site is so easy to use. Along the top bar of the website you can find all the childcare services that childcare.co.uk caters for. Clicking on one of these options opens a handy postcode search feature that allows you to find services locally. You are then able to use their safe and secure private messaging system to contact the provider and discuss details. Direct contact details, such as telephone numbers, are also listed for most providers should you wish to contact them that way instead.

The site has a postcode search option. This enables you to put in the location and choose a mile radius. At first, when searching for childminders, I put in a 5mile radius and nothing came up but I live in a very rural area, (a cottage in the middle of a field) so it wasn’t a surprise. When I put in 10 miles it brought up 21 childminders.

As I type this under the current lockdown restrictions childcare is more challenging than ever before. Keyworkers are essential and unless you have a school that can keep the child’s place you have to find another option. It could be a situation that one parent/carer is a keyworker and the other not and that parent/carer still has to work from home. This can be so difficult but childcare.co.uk have added the option of emergency childcare. You can use the search bar to find emergency childcare if you are a NHS keyworker. I love that they have done this to help support those keyworkers that need the childcare at this difficult time.

The site is impressive. It has a simple design but is still professional. Importantly, it provides parents reassurance during what is a heart-wrenching time either with or without the added issue of coronavirus. Handing your child over to is a hugely daunting prospect for any parent.

We would absolutely recommend childcare.co.uk. It is easy to use, and the way the site is structured it is easy to navigate. Service providers have the perfect platform for advertising their services clearly and transparently to a large market and it is certainly a site that we would come back to and use if needed.