All three and four year old children are entitled to free nursery education: 15 hours a week of free education is applicable for 38 weeks of the year. This is the case until they reach compulsory school age.

Where can you get Free early education places?

• Childminders
• Nursery schools
• Nursery classes
• Children's centres
• Day nurseries
• Play groups
• Pre-schools

For more information about free nursery education contact your Family Information Service (FIS) or local council.

When your child qualifies for a free place

If your child is born between: 1 April and 31 August they are eligible for a free place from: 1 September following their third birthday or the beginning of the autumn school term

If your child is born between: 1 September and 31 December they are eligible for a free place from 1 January following their third birthday or the beginning of the spring* school term

If your child is born between: 1 January and 31 March they are eligible for a free place from: 1 April following their third birthday or the beginning of the summer* school term

These details are based on a three-term school year.

Occasionally it might be necessary or useful for a nursery or school to ask for parent helpers - you may wish to go on a trip or need extra supervisors to visit a local landmark.  This is great for the parents to get involved, great for the children whose parents are being invited to come along... but it can be less than great for the childcare providers or teachers unless the guidelines are laid down in advance.  You don't want the parent just helping their own child and tending to their needs and theirs' alone to the detriment of other little ones.

1. Choose the parents carefully - if you can, invite those you know are level-headed and reliable.
2. Put parents in charge of a group that doesn't include their child.
3. Give parents clear guidelines of what you need from them and what is expected.
4. Introduce them to the children and say, loudly, so that the parent hears "Mrs XX will be looking after all of you today."  Just so its clear to the parents its not just their own child being taken care of.
5. Make sure timings are made clear so parents leave when you wish to return to normality.
6. Find out if any parents have any special skills that might be of interest to the children or help... e.g. gardening, sewing costumes etc.

Guidelines for Parent Helpers could include information such as:

• Emergency telephone numbers and all staff numbers in case of separation.
• How often and how to count and keep track of the children.
• Any special needs, equipment, diets or allergies of the children.
• Exact route, timetable and itinerary of trip.
• Reminder about taking the children to the toilet during the trip.
• Make sure they are not over familiar with the children.
• Be clear about importance of confidentiality and encourage discretion.

Parent helpers do not have to be CRB checked if they are working with children in groups and alongside other qualified practioners but they should be CRB checked if they are going to be alone at any time with the children.

A recent survey by the Daycare Trust shows that over half of nurseries in London have seen a fall in demand over the past year.  This appears to be part of a wider picture of falling demand for childcare and will be of particular concern to nursery providers.  As the economy continues to face uncertain times, more and more mothers are choosing not to return to work after having babies, and that is one factor fueling the fall in demand for childcare places.

Rising childcare costs (more than twice the rate of inflation over the last year) are forcing many mothers to ditch work and look after young family themselves.  The average cost of childcare in England is £5,028 a year, rising to over £6,000 a year in London.  This is income that has already been taxed, and the cost of putting more than one child into childcare just becomes eye-watering!

Increasingly, at the moment, mothers are leaving work to raise their children at home.

On top of this, nursery providers have found that their costs are rising fast too, which is the main contributing factor to the rising cost of nursery places.  Rent rates have jumped hugely over the last few years, but so have many of their other costs including food, staff training and all the essential supplies needed by a nursery.  It seems that as the economy has suffered over the last few years, the global reaction has just been to raise prices for goods and services to make up for slump in demand. This isn't going to hold much longer - something is going to break.  The logical conclusion of this spiral of rising prices pushing down demand is that we will see nurseries closing and nursery chains going out of business.

This isn't all bad news for private childminders.  The additional costs of nursery provision will see a move towards more flexible childminders, with lower associated costs, so we predict a boom in private childcare provision over the next few years.  We are also seeing more babies being nurtured by their own families in their domestic setting, and that too has to be a good thing.  Whilst nurseries and childcare offer a wonderful service, allowing families to continue working, there is a lot to be said for not having to have two incomes simply to live from day to day.  Families that choose to stay home and raise children may have to cut back in some areas, but the marginal difference of a second salary after tax and childcare is making the 'stay at home' option look increasingly attractive!

How can you encourage a healthy and enthusiastic learner and good personal, social and emotional development? There is so much that can be done in the home and in the childcare setting to encourage effective PSED.  Here are just a few ideas that can be incorporated into your typical day.

• Play games; take turns and play by the rules.
• Share things; share out snacks or toys or bricks and encourage little ones to do so as well.
• Go to local places of interest, history museums or galleries.
• Look at programmes from theatre or festivals visits.  Or pick up leaflets from places of interest and local history museums.  Look through the information/booklets together when you get home.
• Take photos when out and about and look back a the photos together.  Recall the day, where you were, who was with you what happened etc.
• Listen to what your child wants to talk about, especially if they are anxious or worried about something.  It may seem tiny to us, but a little problem can escalate.
• Encourage lots of questions and exploring when out and about.

More and more childminders are taking on assistants to work with them or their settings are proving so popular with parents that they are actually taking on full time partners or co-workers to cope with the demand.

What can the assistant do?

• Help with school runs. The assistant can collect children from school or nursery and drop off.
• Play Games: The assistant can participate in games and watch the children while you cook or prepare the next activity.
• Be watchful: They can observe activities to record children's progress and just be another pair of eyes when out and about with the children.
• Male assistants: Male assistants can also be of great value as they can add a male influence on the setting which is particularly useful if there is no male influence at home. Many parents seek out childcare settings with male childminders or assistants purely for this reason.

Employing as assistant:

• You must inform OFSTED if you employ another worker.
• You must have a Criminal Records Bureau disclosure carried out if the person is over 16. This includes all family, friends and neighbours who might be in your setting during hours when the children are in residence.
• You will also have to be registered with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) and it's against the law not to do so.
• You should get references and check out their backgrounds thoroughly.
• You will have to deal with the tax, National Insurance contributions and other rights (such as sick pay, holiday etc) that employees are entitled to.
• You will need to inform your insurance company and ensure you have employer's liability insurance.
• Wages will have to be negotiated. You must pay at least the minimum wage.

A childminder is required to record observations as part of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and yet, how do you actually 'make' and record observations in a setting while trying to do other things and look after the children?

The easiest was is to use ToucanLearn's unique Daily Diary.  By logging what you see, what the children say, any milestones etc on the Daily Diary you get a great personal record for yourself to monitor and to share with parents too... and you don't impact on the care you are giving by having to scratch around for paper and note books.  Sign up at our website and start using ToucanLearn for free!

Use a digital camera or mobile phone to record what happens.  Take pictures of special crafts, achievements or just everyday shots of the little ones going about their playing.

Take video of the children mastering tasks and having fun.  Try to encourage them not to act up in front of the camera but to just be as 'normal' as they can... may be hard!

Have a note book somewhere central at all times and jot down observations.  You can then stick them on a poster or add them to the ToucanLearn.

Maintain a weekly observation chart and add an entry each week in order to monitor overall progress.

A review has stated that nursery and childminding targets should be scaled back to allow teachers and carers more time actually teaching the children. Carers are spending so much time on paperwork that they are not spending enough time with the children, inspiring, guiding and helping them.

Dame Clare Tickell, co-author of the report, said that the Early Years Foundation Stage has helped boost standards, but it has also become too focused with meeting targets. The review calls for the EYFS to be radically changed thus reducing the number of goals for under fives from 69 to just 17.

It was said that the current scheme is "cumbersome, repetitive and unnecessarily bureaucratic." Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), said the changes would be "a victory for common sense".

It points out that:

• children develop at different rates
• play is vital
• literacy and numeracy can often be taught in too formal a way which may not be productive

Instead, general checks should take place including:

• seeing if a child can negotiate space and objects around them
• communicate their needs (food, drink)
• learn new words and use them

These along with the health visitor checks at age 2 would indicate any educational needs. The report also states that everyone working with under fives should have, at least, A levels, thus ensuring a high quality workforce.

We'll have to wait and see the repercussions!

So many parents - even of toddling or pre-school age children - struggle to get their children to sleep for the whole night without waking up or without them slipping into their parent's bed.

They wake; they demand milk; they need cuddles; they refuse to go back to sleep and they disturb you and everyone else in the house.  And, at the sound of the child stirring at night send shock waves through the parents even if the little one is just turning over or breathing a little heavier than normal.  So, even when they are not really awake... the parents are!

When sleep is in short supply all sorts of other repercussions occur.  You're grumpy, your partner is grumpy, other children in the house are effected; your efficiency slips and everyone has a rotten time!  Do you go to a doctor, let them scream it out, get up and give them everything they demand in order to get a easier and quieter life?  It is incredibly hard and unless you're in the situation you really don't know how much endless sleepless nights can disrupt all your lives.

Why do they wake? Here are some thoughts:-

• Hunger: they may feel hungry and genuinely need food or some milk.
• Potty training: if they have just started potty training, they may have a more sensitive bladder and be aware when they urinate in the night even with a night time nappy on.
• Disturbed routine: if things have changed at home or school.  A new teacher or childminder, things changed at home like Mum working more or Dad not home so often, or starting a new job.
• Outside influences: the neighbours have a new barking dog or a noisy motorbike.
• Bedtime: if you've move bedtime later or earlier this can impact on the sleep patterns.
• Stress or anxiety: are they worried about something at home or nursery?
• New baby: even a pregnancy or thought of a new sibling can effect their sleep.
• Poorly: they may be unwell so keep an eye on them.
• Teething: they may be uncomfortable with teeth emerging or causing pain even if you can't see any evidence.
• Growing pains: see our recent post on Growing Pains to understand this strange symptom.

How to help:

• If they ask for water, leave some by their bed so they can sip and return to sleep alone.  Use a sippy cup if you're worried about spillages.
• Favourite toy: make sure any favourite toys are in bed with them for comfort and show them how to cuddle up with their toys at night.
• If you do wake and sit with them, keep it boring: no chat, no lights, nothing except a cuddle and return to bed.

It has been reported that since the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks were introduced, more than 1,500 people have been wrongly given criminal records - the Government checks are designed to protect vulnerable people, but countless errors have been logged.

Questions have always been asked about whether the CRB system was really effective. Parents were being banned from car sharing with friends, and attending school plays and sports days if they weren’t checked, people were losing their jobs if they refused to be investigated and clubs were being forced to close because the cost of registering all their helpers was too much to afford.  CRB checks also did little to prevent child abuse scandals such as that which took place at the Little Ted's Nursery in Plymouth.

The CRB, a Home Office agency, was set up in March 2002 to check for criminal convictions, cautions and reprimands with regards people working with children or vulnerable adults. It processes some 3.9 million CRB certificates each year.

However, a new bill has been announced which will mean changes to this scheme and some of the nine million people who work or volunteer with children will no longer need to have a criminal records check under the new proposed Protection of Freedoms Bill.

Part of the bill also dictates that thousands of innocent people will have their DNA records removed from the national DNA database. There will also be regulations of CCTV cameras and regulations regarding Councils being able to examine people’s rubbish bins in order to investigate claims.

The changes aim to hand back some civil liberties taken away by the previous Labour government and operate a more “common sense” approach.

What overall considerations should I have to find the perfect Nanny for my family?

Looking for a Nanny for your family does not have to be a struggle. Below are 6 points to hopefully help you make the process easier.

1: Think about your ideal nanny. Write a list of your expectations. What personality and experience you would like your Nanny to have? What duties you would like her to do, for example Nursery duties only or light household duties. Write your requirements down - including "required" and "Would like", use this when you are interviewing as a guideline. Work out what you can afford for a nanny so when you discuses salary with the Nanny you have an idea what you can afford.

2: Look at what avenues you are going to go down to look for a nanny. Are you going to use a Nanny Agency, advertising in a local Newspaper, ask friends and family if they know of any good Nannies or search on the internet? More and more families are using the Internet to find Childcare as they are finding it is a much cheaper alternative. All the above have advantages and disadvantages, but all have the same objective: to help you compile a list of potential Nannies.

3: Make contact with potential candidates. Once you have got your list of potential candidates, you will need to find out weather they are interested and suitability for the position. First contact might be by phone or email not face to face. Once you have made contact and asked some question and are satisfied by the answers, you will need to arrange an interview date.

4: Interview date. Don’t forget your list of "required" and "would like". You will need to make a list of questions you would like to ask a Nanny, (Totally Childcare has got a list of question to ask when interviewing a nanny). Most families prefer to do the first interview in the evening when the child/children are in bed and if they like the Nanny then call her back for a second interview, this is normally done over the weekend to meet the children and spend some time together to see how they interact with each other.

5: Checking Reference and CRB (Police Checks). It is highly recommend that you check at least two references, one from the current employment if they are working as a nanny at present and one from a past employment. If they have not got two employment references for you to contact then a character reference will do. A CRB (police check) needs to be done, this can take up to 4/6 weeks to complete. Most nannies have got this already but if this is out of date a new one will need to be done.

6: Employing your chosen Nanny! Once you have found the right Nanny and offered the position and she has accepted the finer details will need to be put down in a Contract of Employment (Totally Childcare has got a standard Employment Contract which you can download and use). This will need to be signed by both parties and each have a copy to keep. Most families have a hand over period before they go back to work; this is so the Nanny can get to know the child/children while mum or dad is still around. It also helps the nanny to see what routine the children have and if they got to school they can be shown where this is and be introduced to their teacher. Contact numbers will need to be given to the new nanny in case of an emergency. A diary for the nanny is a good idea, here she can write down what the child/children have done during the day, what they have eaten and if they have had or not had a dirty nappy etc. This can be helpful for the parents to read when the Nanny has gone home and answer any questions if the child/children is not too happy in the evening. A purse with some money in it for use during the day for the children’s activities is also a good idea, receipts should be provided so there is no confusion as to what they have spent the money on.

If you can remember all of the above steps than hopefully finding a Nanny will be an easy process.

http://www.totallychildcare.com/

So often activities that the children enjoy doing can be beneficial in different ways besides them having fun. They may think they are just having some painting time but in fact they are learning about other things too. In the activity below, they are practicing their painting and printing skills, but learn all about shapes and numbers too with a little guidance.

Prepare an area for painting.  Find some cookie cutters that are simple shapes (square, circle etc.) or some plastic shapes from a shape sorter.  You could use household recycling such as kitchen roll tubes, the ends of small boxes or plastic pots.  Put some different coloured paint into 6 different shallow dishes and place a shape into each one ready to go.

Ask your child to do some  printing with the shapes  Encourage them to do it neatly, in rows, so the shapes can be easily identified.  When they have done a few, then suggest they do an abstract piece of art and drag the shapes, mix the colours and over print the shapes to make something of their choice.  Ask them what the picture is?  Is is a sunset over hills; is it a dinosaur on the beach?  Keep a note of their explanation on the back of the picture.

When all the pictures are dry, have a chat about the shapes  and ask some questions.

• Which is the square?
• What is the yellow shape called?
• How many circles are there?
• Which is the biggest shape?
• Which has most sides?
• How many blue shapes are there?

Count and answer the questions together first and then see if your child can do it alone.  Display the picture and practice each time you pass by.

Learning can be so much fun and so easy!  For lots more ideas for activities, and explanations about learning for parents and childminders, go to ToucanLearn!

There are so many children and toddlers for whom English is not their first language; when it comes to observing these children in a childcare setting, whether it be a nursery or childminders, it is very easy for the carer to suggest that when it comes to communication, that the child has"no language".  In fact, they do have a language, its just they are not using it or English in the setting, so carers need to be careful in these circumstances.  Children need to be encouraged in both languages when they are little to avoid problems of alienation and isolation.

Why should parents, carers and teachers encourage bilingual children?

• It means the child usually knows about 2 cultures, 2 sets of traditions and 2 sets of rules for speaking
• It means they may be confused about different words or phrases which are used in different situations
• They can be scared to take chances when it comes to speaking or answering questions
• Making friends may be harder or even impossible if the other children can communicate more easily
• It may make the children more inclined to listen carefully and think about things or answers to questions even if they do not actually speak or contribute; they may still know the answer

How to help:

• Be calm and patient.  Don't expect them to speak with the same confidence as children where English is the first language
• Allow them to listen and observe  before addressing them with a question
• Speak to them just the same as you would other children; look into their eyes and address them with warmth and clarity; move your mouth to create the words and don't speak until you make eye contact
• Point and gesticulate too and use sign language to help communicate
• Sing lots of songs and rhymes together
• Keep any setting quiet and calm so everyone can hear well and communicate without shouting

Children learning more than one language at a time do generally start speaking a little later, but in the long term, but this does not mean that they will never learn to talk.  In the medium term they will rapidly grasp both languages and they will have a beneficial skill that will put them in a strong position throughout their lives!

Joining a baby or toddler group when you have your first baby can be one of those life saving moves!  Just as you are getting over the extraordinary experience of your first birth, and you are trying to return to a normal life, but suddenly find this dependent little thing everywhere you turn, life can become a little overwhelming.  Find a local group and start meeting and mixing with other mum's and baby's, and you will find a supportive community and quickly make a host of new friends.

There are bound to be toddler and baby groups in your area - you may never have even considered there existence, but they really are all around you!  Here are some ways to find a group near you:-

• Contact the NCT, they run groups all over the country and you may not have to be a member to attend
• See whether there are any groups in local church halls and community halls, you'll spot notices in the halls and they should have contact details with them
• Search on the internet to see if you can find a group near you
• Look for a local childminding group and then ask the organiser or members for information, they will most likely know what goes on locally to you
• Contact your local council for a list of local groups
• Make enquiries at hospital before you leave or ask your midwife - maternity wards usually have a noticeboard with information about local support groups and other services on offer to new mum's

If you really can't find a group near you, or you can't find one that suits you for whatever reason, you could even start your own!

Here are a few ways to introduce the sense of touch to children with appropriate EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) areas of learning and development  included.

• Go On Safari... round the house to find things that feel different.  The Cool window, the smooth door, the furry teddy the soft blanket.  Have a chat about how things feel.
• EYFS: This promotes exploration and investigation, using language for communication.

• Create a textured painting... add various ingredients to poster paints and get the children to have go at painting with different textures.  Try adding flour, lentils, sand, broken spaghetti and you'll get some great results.
• EYFS: This promotes being creative and exploring media and materials.

• Touchy-Feely box... take a few items that feel different such as pine cone, washing up brush, length of ribbon, necklace, spoon etc and ask your child to feel it, describe it etc.
• EYFS: This promotes exploration and investigation and language for thinking.

• Texture Book... get some different paper, fabric or things you can stick together to form a book.  Newspaper, tissue paper, soft fabric, cotton wool, silver foil could all be stuck securely to pages and bound with string or wool to create a great book.
• EYFS: This promotes being creative and exploring media and materials.

• Messy Activity... the ultimate way to feel and touch is to get really messy!  Try doing some hand and feet painting and get the children to describe how the wet, cold, sticky paint feels!  They will love it!
• EYFS: This promotes being creative and exploring media and materials.

There are so many more activities like this at http://www.ToucanLearn.com, where learning is fun for you and your little one!

We've progressed a long way from the Victorian days when children were best kept our of sight and out of mind, but the sad truth is that modern living often means that your children spend more time with a childminder than they do with you. Are you kept informed of how your children are doing, and do you have a good idea of their progress?

The government's Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) requires for child minders, carers and nursery teachers actively to keep records of every child's progress. Make sure that you are getting the level of information you want about your children and how they are developing.  If you aren't hearing enough, then ask for more - if you feel your childminder is being too diligent, then they will be delighted to be asked to reign back a bit and tell you just what you want to hear!

At ToucanLearn, every child receives their own Daily Diary designed especially for childminders to share information with parents.  By sharing the Daily Diary you can stay informed about what your children are doing every day.  This service can be used for free, but premium members can also upload photos to keep a photographic record of everything they do too.

We know from feedback that we receive about our service that many parents are able to view what their children are doing throughout the day - they can see pictures of new artwork once it has been uploaded, and they can read what their little ones are making, doing and eating during the day.  Here at ToucanLearn we're dedicated to helping working parents share as much information about their children as they can.  If you don't feel you are getting the information you want from your childminder, why not ask them to start posting a Daily Diary in ToucanLearn?  Our FREE service means they don't even have to spend a penny to do so!