Northamptonshire mums need to book nursery places while they’re pregnant and STILL miss out

Northamptonshire mums are having to book nursery places years in advance when they are still PREGNANT and still missing out on places.

Nurseries are facing increased energy, food and staffing costs, as well as struggling to recruit with many being forced to close.

A survey by Early Years Alliance revealed nearly HALF of early years providers had been forced to limit or stop intake of new children.

Parents say they are battling two-year waiting lists and others registering their children for places before they were even born.

Katie Wright, 37, had to register Callie, now four months old, before she was born for a nursery place she will not take up until 2024.

The mum-of-three said childcare for over-twos is oversubscribed in her area and there is a shortage of care for younger ones.

Her experience with her first two children, Oscar, seven and Kiki, five, taught her to get on the list early.

She had to travel up to TEN MILES out of town to find a nursery that would take them before they turned two.

She stumbled across an advert on Facebook for a newly-opened nursery in the area taking under-ones, so she jumped at the chance to get on the list.

Katie, from Brackley, said: “When you've literally just got out of hospital with your newborn, the last thing you want to be thinking about is where you'll send them when they're two.

“Never mind before they're even born.

“In an ideal world, you'd want to shop around and visit a few before making a decision about your child's care — not making a decision when you're three steps out of hospital and signing up for wherever might have a place.

“It's really hard here. There seems to be a massive lack of funding for childcare.

“I think with the cost of living crisis, I'm seeing lots of people taking less time off for maternity and so demand is higher.

“Having to subscribe to waiting lists so early is difficult. The hardest part is having to make decisions before you're emotionally ready."

Northamptonshire has around 17,000 registered children who are eligible for free early-years learning.

Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, said in his mini-budget on Friday (September 23) helping people access affordable childcare remains one of the government’s top priorities.

A consultation launched earlier this year sought views on a range of changes including allowing more children per staff members.

But Neil Leitch chief executive of charity the Early Years Alliance said: “The Government has sold this policy as a remedy to the cost-of-living crisis, when in reality, it will do absolutely nothing to cut costs for parents.

“What’s more, it will heap even more pressure on the early years workforce, driving even more highly-skilled educators away from the sector at a time when the early years is already struggling with the worst recruitment and retention crisis in recent history.”

“We know and the Government knows that the only way to address rising costs is to properly fund the sector.”