It may seem patronising a title, but most parents usually know the type of childcare that their friends and family use and assume that this is the best form of childcare for them.

It’s this very reason why a lot of mums look at the expense and think that going back to work is not worth the hassle if they only get pocket change left after paying childcare fees.

When making the decision, most parents think about whether they want their child cared for in their own home, in the carers home or outside the home. Another consideration is whether they want their child to have individual care, or socialise early with other children. And then there are those, like me, who feel a bit better in the knowledge that a nursery has safety in numbers, and that if a member of staff is mistreating a child another member is bound to pick up on it and do something about it, whereas there isn’t that luxury with individual child carers. And the other side of that is the agonising feeling that your child’s individual needs won’t be met at a nursery because there are other children’s needs that need to be met. Decisions, decisions!

Whatever you decide is best for your child, remember that most childcare providers genuinely love looking after children. Yes, there are those carers who give the industry a bad name, but on the whole, most want to see your child happy and thriving as much as you do (well almost!). They are, after all, the first person that the finger of blame points to when things go wrong.

This chapter will look into detail what different child carers can provide, how flexible they can be with their time, and the type of family situation that is most suited to it.

The main types of childcare available in the UK are:

• Nannies
• Childminders
• Nurseries (day nurseries, private nursery schools and government-funded nurseries)
• Childminding networks
• Pre-schools and playgroups
• Mother’s helps
• Au pairs
• Maternity nurses
• Private schools
• Kids clubs

The three most common childcare used in the UK are nurseries, childminders and nannies, so we will focus on those in this feature. But if you are thinking of ways to cut the cost of childcare, using just one form of childcare may actually work out more expensive. Using a mixture of childcare options may help you cut the costs - and it doesn't have to be as big a juggling act as you might expect. For more details on the other types of childcare, and how to make your options work for you, buy The Working Parent’s Stress-Free Guide to Childcare by our editor, Joycellyn Akuffo, from our sister site, www.lookforchildcare.co.uk - the FREE directory connecting parents to childcare providers.

The childcare you choose may also depend on the amount of control and input you want to have of your child’s day. A nanny, for instance, will be guided by how much television you want your child to watch, which playgroups you want your child to attend, how many naps your child has during the day (and when), as opposed to a nursery where, with all the best will in the world, also has planned activities and routines for all its children and can try to accommodate you requests as far as possible.

Nannies
There is a misconception that all nannies live with the family. In fact, there are three types of nannies:

• live-in nannies (also known as day nannies)
• live-out nannies and nanny shares, so you don’t have to let your need for privacy, or lack of spare room, put you off using a nanny. Live-in nannies cost less than those who live out because much of their living expenses are covered by the family.

Live-out nannies have their own accommodation outside the family’s home and visit during the agreed hours to provide childcare.

Nannies can look after children of all ages, and they are usually very flexible with their time, which may suit parents who don’t work the traditional 9am-5pm working week.

Using a nanny can give parents the most control of how their child is looked after – not only because the child is cared for in their own home, but because nannies are guided by the parents of the child, especially those with less experience.

Using a nanny share is another good option for parents who work non-traditional hours, e.g. those parents who only need childcare a few days a week. You can basically ‘share’ a nanny with another family and negotiate among yourselves who has the nanny on which days and share the cost of employing the nanny.

Please note that nannies who are ‘shared’ by more than two families at a time need to be registered as childminders. If your nanny is not registered as a childminder, and you want to ask them to be a nanny share, they would be well within their rights to ask all families concerned to pay for the cost of that registration.

The law does not require nannies to have any qualifications to work, so not all of them have undergone childcare training, but many will have extensive experience and will have some formal childcare training.

Mannies
This is the latest craze among celebrities – a male nanny. Like many female-dominated professions like nursing and teaching (primary school age), there is prejudice in the childcare industry. However, there are some benefits to having a male presence in your child’s life – especially if you are a single parent.

Like with any other form of childcare you choose for your child, as long as you are happy that the individual(s) you choose can look after your child well, have vetted the childcare provider (either yourself, with their consent), or vetted their police check) then there is no harm in using a male childcare provider.

Childminders
Childminders are self employed, so they set their own terms and hours of work. They look after children from birth to sixteen years of age in their own homes. They can be flexible about how that care is given, and are therefore suitable for families that don’t have a traditional work pattern.

Many childminders provide non-conventional types of care – e.g. picking up children from school and giving them tea before you pick them up, looking after children in the evenings, at weekend and during school holidays.

An added bonus is that you can have more control over how your child is cared for – things like discipline, what they eat – compared to a nursery, but you’ll still have to drop them off and pick them up from the childminder’s.

Like nannies, childminders need to be registered on the Ofsted Childcare Register if they care for children who are less than eight years of age.

When choosing a childminder, you need to find out:

• if they charge on an hourly, daily or weekly basis
• if they charge for overtime or absences – childminders have been known to charge when a child is absent from their care due to sickness, and when you go on holiday, and you may even have to pay them when they go on holiday in order to keep your child’s place.

Childminders can care for up to six children under the age of eight at a time. Out of this, a maximum of three can be less than five years of age, and they are limited to caring for one baby aged less than a year. This number includes the childminder’s own children and any other children on the premises when they are working (so a friend’s child would count among that number if they are left in the childminder’s care).

Nurseries
Using a nursery is a popular choice for parents who work the traditional 9am to 5pm working week, as they tend to open from 8am to 6pm. Many parents choose to send their children to a nurseries because they can socialise with other children, making the transition to school a lot easier because children experience being with big groups of children from a young age.

Nurseries take children up to the age of five, many start from a few weeks old, but the norm is from three months of age. Children usually progress from the baby room to the toddler room and then the preschool room, depending on the size of the nursery.

Nurseries can be run by private individuals, community groups, Montessori organisations, commercial businesses or by employers, and they usually provide food (included in the fees). Some also provide nappies and wipes, so check with the nursery manager on your visit to see what you’ll be paying for.