How To Find Your Mary Poppins

Starting the process of finding a childcare centre, or even a babysitter, can be exhausting and confusing. If we have one piece of advice it’s to start looking early — yes, that means while you’re still pregnant!

Here is a round-up of some of the websites that may help.

Careforkids.com.au
Definitely the most comprehensive site out there when it comes to finding and contacting child care services in your local area. They have a map-based search which shows centres with vacancies nearby. In my experience the vacancies were not always up to date and nor did centres always respond to messages submitted via the site. However, it’s a great starting point to see what’s out there before contacting centres directly.

Findababysitter.com.au
This is the largest babysitter and nanny search site, claiming to have 6208 carers “ready to help!” While you can search for carers in your area for free, to contact them or post a job ad you need to pay a joining fee.

Babysitterdirectory.com.au
This is a free babysitter and nanny search site, offering a similar service to Findababysitter.com.au. However it is relatively new and light on listings.

Daycaresearch.net.au
Family daycare is an option many parents don’t even consider when looking for care, but it has many benefits — a consistent carer, a homely environment and a low child-to-carer ratio. This site has a location-based family day care search and some useful info on how to choose the right carer. I did have trouble finding a carer near me though, I guess they are still building up their listings.