How far in advance should you register your child for childcare?
It is best to register your child as soon as you know when you will need childcare. How many months in advance you need to register varies between childcare providers.
At CompaNanny, your registration is always reviewed straight away. Is there availability on your preferred days and at your preferred location? If so, you will receive a non-binding offer by email. If there is no immediate availability, we will make you an offer based on the current availability and place you on the waiting list for your preferred days and/or location.
Even if we cannot yet make you an offer because we do not plan that far ahead, we will still place you on the waiting list. So it is always a good idea to register your child in good time.
Tip from Support team member Lindsay:
"Feel free to register your child even if you do not yet know exactly which childcare days you will need. Perhaps you have only just found out you are pregnant and do not yet know which days your partner will be off work or whether the grandparents will be able to help with childcare. We can understand that you may still want some certainty about your preferred start date. Our Planners will be happy to explore the options with you.”
How do you register your child for childcare?
Register your child in 5 steps:
1. With most childcare providers, you complete an online registration form with standard details such as:
- The type of childcare you are looking for (daycare, kindergarten or after-school care)The location you would like to register for
- Your child’s name
- Their date of birth or due date
- Your preferred days
- Your preferred start date
Registering your child for childcare is free and completely non-binding. This means you are not committing to anything when you register your child.
2. What happens next varies between childcare providers. At CompaNanny, a member of our Planning & Placement team will call you within 1 to 3 working days. Together, you will discuss your wishes. You will also receive more information about the childcare and have the opportunity to ask any questions you may have. You can also arrange a tour straight away. Prefer to book a tour yourself in advance? Simply complete the tour request form here.
Did you know... that members of our Planning & Placement team often have first-hand experience of working at one of our locations and/or regularly visit our locations? This means they know exactly what day-to-day life is like there. So feel free to ask them anything!
3. Our Planners will check whether there is a place available for your child. If there is no availability yet, they will make you an offer based on the current availability and place you on the waiting list for your preferred days and/or preferred location. Is there a place available? Then you will receive a non-binding offer by email. This will include, among other things:
- Personal details
- Childcare days
- Invoicing arrangements
- Terms and conditions
4. You will speak with a member of our Planning & Placement team to discuss the offer and ask any questions you may have. Have your wishes changed in the meantime? You can always let us know about any changes.
5. Take your time to review the offer. It is valid for 7 days. Once you have signed the contract (digitally), the arrangements are confirmed. Hooray, your child now officially has a place. Welcome to CompaNanny!
Booking a tour
To get a good feel for the location(s) you are considering, it is worth requesting a tour. You can experience the atmosphere for yourself and meet the team. You will also hear more about the daily rhythm, our unique way of working and our pedagogical vision. And of course, there will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions. Childcare will become a second home for your child, so it is important that you feel comfortable with your choice.
Tip from our colleague Lindsay, from the Planning & Placement team:
“Book a tour before or soon after registering your child. That way, you can get a real feel for your preferred location, experience the atmosphere and meet the team before you receive a contract offer.”
2 tips for registering your child for childcare
To help your child secure a place as quickly and smoothly as possible, Feline and Lindsay from our Planning & Placement team have a few more tips.
1. Be as flexible as possible
If you can be flexible about the days you need childcare, it is usually easier to find a place for your child. If you would like a combination of more popular and quieter days, your child may, for example, be able to start on Wednesdays first, with Tuesdays added later. Which days are more or less popular varies by location. Our colleagues from the Planning & Placement team will be happy to tell you more.
Are there several CompaNanny locations near you? Another option is to start at a different location if there is immediate availability there. You can see exactly where our locations are on our locations page.
2. Start your contract 1 week before your leave ends
Try to schedule the settling-in days while you are still on leave, for example during your final week. This gives both you and your child plenty of time to get used to the new routine, so you can return to work feeling as relaxed as possible.
It is also important to be especially easy to reach during the settling-in days and, if needed, to pick up your child a little earlier. Every child settles in at their own pace.
Want to know more about the settling-in period at CompaNanny?
Read more about settling in at daycare, kindergarten or after-school care.
How long is the waiting list for childcare?
Waiting lists in childcare vary. How long your child remains on the waiting list depends on:
- How popular your preferred location is
- The region you live in
- Your preferred days and how flexible you are
- How many other children are starting
- The number of cancellations
- The number of groups and Childcare Professionals available
Because all these factors play a role, it can be difficult to predict when a place will become available for your child. At CompaNanny, you will hear 6 months in advance whether there is availability. If there is not, you will receive an update on the waiting list every 3 months after that. This way, you always know where things stand.
If our Planner can already see more than 6 months in advance that a place will be available for your child, we will contact you straight away and send you an offer. That way, everything can be arranged quickly and you have the reassurance of knowing that childcare is sorted.
Tip from our Planner Feline:
“Improve your chances of securing a place by registering at several locations. At CompaNanny, you can register for up to 3 locations at the same time. Take a good look at which locations are near you and make a top 3. When planning, we take your preferences into account, so we will first check whether a place becomes available at the location you prefer most.”
Want to know more about waiting lists? Read our blog with 5 tips to help your child secure a place sooner.
Register your child with CompaNanny
Would you like a warm and welcoming childcare setting where your child has all the space they need to develop and grow? Register your child with CompaNanny free of charge and without obligation. That way, our Planners can keep an eye on availability and let you know as soon as a place becomes available.
Do you have questions about registering with CompaNanny?
Shannon and our Planning & Placement team will be happy to answer them!
