“I’m a bit new to all this! How does it all work?!”

No sooner have you found out you’re expecting than someone will say to you – “Have you decided which nursery he/she is going to yet?”

There is no right or wrong way to enrol in a nursery but the sooner you complete your return-to-work talks with your employer and make the decision on which nursery you are going to choose then the more time you have to get the right decision.

The earlier you complete this process, the greater the likelihood of you being able to have the days you want your child to attend nursery on. Generally, all nurseries are busy and have limited capacity so if you make your decision very late, this can lead to disappointment in terms of the days you require or worse – any availability at all!

The process of choosing a nursery can be a bewildering with so many factors but ultimately the best nursery for you and your child will be the one you feel most comfortable with when you drop them off for the day.

• Is it clean and tidy?
• Do the other children who attend seem happy?
• Are the staff you talk to knowledgeable and contented?
• Will the nursery be able to meet any specific needs your child has?
• Does the person showing you around the setting know the nursery inside out?

Rainbow has been looking after children for 28 years and we hope that we would offer excellent childcare to every child… but our nursery may not be right for every child or parent and so it’s important that new parents take their time to look around a range of settings to compare and contrast their individual pro’s and con’s.