• Choosing an Au Pair
• Choosing a Babysitter
• Choosing a Childminder
• Choosing a Day Nursery
• Choosing a Nanny
• Choosing a Nursery School
• Choosing Out-of-School Services
• Choosing a Playgroup or Preschool

The first step to finding an au pair is to register with a reputable agency; a good agency will be a member of the REC (Recruitment and Employment Confederation), IAPA (International Au Pair Association) and/or BAPAA (British Au Pair Association). A reputable agency will match your needs with the details of the au pair, and offer you a number of potential candidates to choose from. They will then normally arrange a telephone interview for you with your chosen candidates, as you won't get the opportunity to meet them before they arrive in the country.

During this interview, you should discuss rate of pay, standard hours of work, notice period, holiday and sickness procedure; these details should be confirmed in writing should you decide to go ahead.

If you're looking for babysitting help, then there are typically three major options to choose from: a babysitting agency, a local individual, or a babysitting circle.

Babysitting agencies are available across the country; makes sure you check their website and literature carefully before committing yourself however, as you are often required to pay a one-off registration fee or membership fee before you ca use their services. Check out its interview and vetting process, along with the amount of childcare experience its sitters must have, and the background checks it conducts. Most agencies have a minimum booking period; typically 4 hours.

Independent local babysitters can range from a trusted teenager (although it is not recommended to choose anyone under the age of 16) to recently graduated childcare students looking for practical experience. Good sources of babysitters include word-of-mouth recommendations from other mums, or adverts on school, pre-school, nursery and playgroup notice boards. However, you should always check references yourself, and conduct a face-to-face interview with prospective babysitters before employing them.

Setting up a babysitting circle is an ideal way to tackle the problem of evening childcare. By setting up a circle with your friends you'll have a pool of trusted individuals to call on for babysitting, and you'll be paying for their services by repaying the favour and babysitting for their children. You don't have to restrict your services to evenings, either. You might prefer to use some time out to get your hair done, do some shopping or meet your partner in town for lunch.

A babysitting circle consists of a group of friends who can be called on to provide babysitting for each other. These circles can work simply on trust, or members may be given a points system, with each member earning or spending points as they provide or use the service. For the system to work properly (and to avoid falling outs), it's important that it operates on an equal basis so that everyone gets the same amount of babysitting.

All childminders should be inspected regularly by OFSTED to ensure that their home is safe, and also that suitable educational play is provided, along with properly planned and healthy meals. Always ask to see a copy of their inspection report, along with a copy of their CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) form (and the forms of anyone else in the household who is over the age of 16 years). It is also important to check your childminder is insured - ask to see a valid certificate.

Registered childminders can look after up to 6 children under the age of 8 at any one time, of which no more than 3 may be under the age of 5. These numbers include any children the childminder has themselves. However, childminders who work with an assistant may look after larger groups of children.

When visiting the childminder, take a list of any questions you might want to ask; for example, How much will it cost, and what does that include? What about sickness and holidays; do they have someone to cover for them? What hours will they work? What are the possibilities of working outside normal hours (for example, evening or weekends)? If possible, bring your child to meet the childminder.

Make sure that any day nursery you choose is registered and OFSTED inspected. In addition, they should be clean, friendly, warm and well-managed, with a staff that appear confident and caring. Nurseries that look after babies should have at least 1 member of staff to care for 3 babies. You should expect to pay somewhere in the region of £25 to £50 a day.

Most people who decide to hire a live-in or daily nanny use an agency, although many may simply place an advert in a suitable publication. In either case, it's a good idea to interview a number of potential candidates in order to fir one that is a good fit for your child and family; don't feel pressurised to hire anybody you're not 100% happy with.

Although nannies aren't required to have formal qualifications, it's a good idea to insist that your candidates have studied for at least  two years and gained an NNEB diploma in nursery nursing, Level 3 BTEC or NVQ in Childcare/Education, or similar. Check their qualifications carefully, contacting the institution where they were taken. Look for gaps on a candidate's CV (which may indicate that they have something to hide), and follow up at least two references from other parents, contacting them directly if possible so that you can get a better idea of the nanny as a person.

Your nanny should also have a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check; if you are using an agency, they should already have carried this out, or the nanny should have their own certificate (CRB checks should be done every 2 years).

During interview, make sure that you outline fully what the job entails, including the hours and days they will be expected to work, the rate of pay, and any other particular requirements they might be expected to fulfil, (such as using the car to collect the children from school, or perhaps attending the family holiday abroad). If possible, provide an opportunity for the nanny to meet your children, and see how they interact.

After the interviews, ask your favoured candidate(s) back for a second interview to go through any outstanding questions either of you might have. If you offer them the job (and they accept) don't forget to contact the other applicants to let them know that they were not successful.

As your nanny's employer, you must furnish them with a contract, detailing items such as hours of work, rate of pay, household duties, sick pay, holiday pay, any probationary period and a procedure for terminating the contract (4 weeks notice is usual outside the probationary period). If your nanny does not have a formal first aid for children qualification, you might want to consider adding it as a clause in the contract, giving them time off to enable them to take the course.

All nursery schools are registered and inspected by OFSTED; ask to see a copy of their latest inspection report and registration certificate. The numbers of qualified staff will vary from nursery to nursery, however, all nurseries must employ some qualified staff with relevant experience such as NNEB (National Nursery Exam Board), NVQ Level 3, BTEC National Diploma or equivalent; ask what training and qualifications the staff have received.

When you look around the nursery, keep an eye out for the following points:

• Do the children seem happy and relaxed?
• Is there an outside area that they can use?
• Is the nursery suitably equipped with toys and other types of play material?

You should also have a list of questions that you might want to ask, such as:

• How is the children's day structured?
• What is the ratio between staff and children?
• Will my child have a key worker?
• What sort of discipline is used?
• What range of activities do you provide?
• What food is provided for the children?
• Are trips and visits organised?
• Is the nursery open in school holidays?
• Do I have to pay if my child is absent, through family holidays or due to sickness?

Most nurseries have waiting lists and operate a first-come first-served basis. If you are interested in a school nursery place you will need to contact your local primary school to place your child's name on the waiting list. You will need to contact private and maintained nursery schools regarding their vacancies and admissions policy.

The majority of out-of-school services are registered with OFSTED (unless they only cater for children over the age of 8), and are inspected regularly to ensure that the premises are safe and suitable for children and that the staff are suitable to look after children. At least half the staff must have formal qualifications in childcare or playwork.

To register, you'll need to contact the centre of your choice directly. Before committing yourself however, you may want to ask the organisers a number of questions; for example,

• What range of activities are available?
• How do you deal with bad behaviour?
• Do you provide meals?
• How many children attend this centre?
• What is the age range?
• Is there a quiet area available for children wishing to do homework?

The majority of playschools and pre-schools are registered with OFSTED and are inspected every 2 years to establish the safety and the suitability and standard of the building, and the quality of educational play offered. There should be at least 1 member of staff for every 8 children aged 3-5 and 1 adult for every 4 children aged 2-3.

When you take a look around, check that there is a generous and wide-ranging supply of toys and equipment, and plenty of space for the children to play. There should also be a comfortable quiet area where children can relax. The children should appear happy and engaged in their activities, and the child care providers should demonstrate a genuinely friendly and caring relationship with the children.