Childcare in York

Have your say for a chance to win £100!

• Are you a mum, dad or carer of a child or young person under 16 years old? (or 18 years old if disabled or with additional needs)
• Do you use, or would like to use, childcare in York?
• Are you a mum, dad or carer to be?
• Do you have views on the quality and availability of childcare?

If so we'd like to hear from you!

City of York Council wants to make sure that childcare meets families’ needs. Your opinions are really important to us and will help us to encourage high quality childcare that is available in the right place, at the right time and at an affordable price. We will do this by working closely with childcare providers and partner organisations. 

If you take part in the survey, you will be given the option of entering your name into a draw to win £100 of vouchers for a shop of your choice.

Is childcare just for the under fives?

No, the government has defined ‘childcare’ as including play, care and the Free Early Years Entitlement in the maintained and community sector. For example this could mean holiday playschemes, before or after school clubs, private day nurseries, maintained education nurseries, pre-school playgroups or childminders.

What types of childcare are there?

Childminder

Registered childminders look after your child along with other children, usually in their own home.

Self-employed, they decide on working hours. Most are willing to work early mornings, evenings and weekends, as well as part-time.

Day nursery

A day nursery provides care and education for children between the ages of six weeks and five years. (Some also offer out-of-school care for older children.)

Opening times are from around 7am to 7pm (hours vary but many nurseries may start before 8am), 50 weeks of the year. You can send your child full or part time.

Nursery Schools /Classes

Nursery schools and nursery classes provide Free Early Years Entitlement and childcare for children between three and five years old.

Pre-school / play group

Pre-schools or playgroups provide care and Free Early Years Entitlement for children between two and five years old.

Most offer sessions from two and a half hours to four hours, during term time.

Some are developing their services to offer longer sessions or full-time day care.

Before and After School clubs

Breakfast or before school clubs and after school clubs offer childcare before and after school.

These services are based on school sites, but may also be in youth clubs, community centres or nurseries. Some schools organise the childcare themselves, but most work with local voluntary groups, private providers and childminders.

Holiday play schemes

Holiday play schemes tend to be open from 8am to 6pm and run during the school holidays

Other school activities

These are any other types of activities that run on a school site that aren’t part of the normal school day. You may have heard them called “Extended Services”.

These activities are often groups or clubs around homework, drama, sport, music and more.