If you’re a working parent it can feel like school days simply aren’t long enough to get to work and back and actually do a job in between. Sound familiar? Here’s our guide to after-school childcare options.

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Whoever came up with typical primary school hours of 8.45-ish to 3-something clearly did not have working parents in mind.

By the time you drop your child off, travel to work, make a cuppa and get started, it’s almost time to pick them up again.

There are various options for after-school childcare, some of which can also provide school holiday cover, too (dare we mention the challenges of juggling a job and those six weeks of summer holidays?)

From after-school clubs and childminders to nannies and help from family and friends, they all have pros and cons.

All you can do is make a call on which is the best fit for your needs and those of your child.

Here, Rosalind Millam , from The Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY) shares her expertise regarding the best after-school options for your family.

What kind of after-school childcare do you need?

There’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ answer; what works for you and your child might be quite different to what works for another family.

Rosalind advises spending some time thinking about your requirements and doing some research upfront.

‘It’s important your child feels secure and settled, so you’re at ease knowing they’re being well cared for,’ she says.

Rosalind's points to consider include:

• What sort of environment will your child be comfortable in and enjoy?

For example, if they’re shy or get tired by the end of the school day, they might be less overwhelmed in a smaller, home-based environment. Conversely if they’re very sociable and love loads of activity, an after-school club could appeal most.

• What are your working hours and patterns?

Is your job a predictable ‘9 to 5’ or does it involve erratic hours and late finishes? Will you need emergency/last-minute care sometimes if you get caught at work unexpectedly? Do you work every weekday or part time?'

• Do you need the same childcare to be available during school holidays?

Those six weeks of summer can be a particular tricky juggling act for working parents.

• What's your budget?

Costs vary significantly, with childminders and after-school clubs usually being cheapest and a dedicated nanny the most expensive.

If you have more than one child this might change the economics; at childminders and clubs you’ll be paying per child, whereas with a nanny or au pair you pay a set amount regardless of how many children they look after (within reason)!

Also check if your chosen childcare will be eligible for any assistance with childcare costs such as Tax-Free Childcare or the Government's free 15 Hours for three and four years olds.

When you’ve narrowed down the type of after-school care you prefer, draw up a shortlist of providers to visit in your local area, or agencies to contact, if you’re looking for a nanny or au pair.

If you’re considering an after-school clubs, the most obvious choice will be if there’s one on offer at your child’s school.

We’ve given an idea of costs for each option but these vary significantly around the country, so we’ve kept this indicative:

• £ means low or no cost
• ££ moderate cost
• £££ or ££££ higher cost.

What are the main after-school childcare options?

1. Childminders

Childminders usually offer care in their own home, rather than yours, looking after children of a mix of ages and from different families, in relatively small numbers.

A childminder should be registered and inspected for peace of mind. Ask around among other parents to find out if there’s a good childminder who does drop-offs and pick-ups at your child’s school.

Childminder pros:

• Provides a ‘home-from-home' environment.
• Trained in childcare, food hygiene and safeguarding, and have a first aid qualification.
• Registered and inspected by the relevant agency (these vary for each country of the UK – for example Ofsted in England and the Care Inspectorate in Scotland) and undergoes checks to ensure they’re suitable to work with children – these include checks on every member of their household over 16.
• Eligible for government help with childcare costs.
• Some can work ‘late hours’ to accommodate your needs and provide consistent care for school holidays.
• Self-employed so, unlike a nanny, they deal with their own tax and National Insurance affairs.

Childminder cons:

• You’ll be limited to childminders willing and able to pick up from your child’s school.
• If they’re ill, or go away on holiday, you’ll need to have back-up care.
• Some children find even the home-based environment too hectic and prefer being in their own home.

Cost: ££

2. Nannies, au pairs and after-school 'help'

A nanny looks after your children, usually in your home.

They tend to be expensive but you can cut costs via a ‘nanny share’ with another family or by hiring a student who wants to work after-school hours only (agencies such as Koru Kids and Student Nannies specialise in this). See more on this below.

If you have space in your home, one option could be to take on an au pair.

An au pair lives in your home and usually works 20 to 30 hours a week, doing childcare and light housework, in exchange for accommodation, food and pocket money (around £80 to £150 a week depending on their hours and your location).

Alternatively, you could advertise on local groups to see if anyone else's au pair wanted extra work and could help you as an after-school 'help' on the days you need.

Nanny and au pair pros:

• Provide care in your own home that meets the specific needs of your child and their school day/ activities.
• In England, a nanny can register with Ofsted’s voluntary childcare register, which may enable you to claim government help with costs.
• Provides care for the hours you need – particularly useful if you have irregular working hours.
• Able to provide cover if your child is off school ill and during the holidays.
• Costs the same whether you have one child or several.

Nanny and au pair cons:

• You are their employer and therefore responsible for all the legal issues around employment including their National Insurance.
• Live-in nannies and au pairs need a bedroom in your house and you might feel there is a loss of privacy for your family.

Cost: ££££ for a dedicated nanny just for your child/ children. ££ for a nanny share or au pair.

3. After-school clubs

Around half of schools offered wrap-around care (breakfast and after-school clubs) by 2016.

If there isn’t a club at your child’s school, staff from one at another primary locally might be able to collect children from yours.

More information on wrap-around care can usually be found on your school’s website or via the school office.

After-school clubs pros:

• Your child will be in a familiar environment (assuming the club is at their school), possibly with some of their friends.
• Most after-school clubs are registered and inspected by Ofsted (in England) or CIW (in Wales) and staff have to undergo checks to ensure they’re suitable to work with children.
• Staff may also have childcare and first aid qualifications as well as safeguarding and food hygiene training.
• May provide a range of activities or allow children to attend other activities provided by their school before coming to the club.
• Some also offer school holiday care.

After-school clubs cons:

• Set hours, so you always need to be able to get there for pick-up time.
• Your child may feel like they’re still at school.
• Don't provide dinner so you'll still need to feed them once they're home.

Cost: ££

4. Family or friends

Two-fifths of grandparents have provided childcare for their grandchildren according to the charity Age UK .

As well as this army of ‘granny nannies’, some parents use informal childcare arrangements such as a swap with a friend or family member, if they work part-time but different days to you.

Family or friends pros:

• A familiar and (hopefully!) trusted person to care for your child, either in your home or theirs.
• Very low or no cost.
• Consistency of care in school holidays.
• More likely to be able to provide cover if your child is off school ill.
• A family member providing free childcare does not need to be registered as a childminder with the relevant agency.

Family or friends cons:

• If the relative/ friend is ill or on holiday, you’ll have to make other arrangements.
• Can put a strain on the relationship if things go wrong.
• If you pay a friend to care for a child under the age of eight for more than two hours a day, they need to register as a childminder.
• You might not qualify for Government help for childcare costs if you pay a friend or family member under an informal arrangement.

Cost: £

Where do you find after-school help?

For many parents, the idea of finding an after-school helper to pick the kids up from school and bring them home, possibly helping with homework, snacks or even getting them ready for dinner, is the ideal.

But where on earth do you find such a person?

Here are some suggestions:

• Ask around on your school facebook or WhatsApp group - someone may have one you can share or be able to suggest where they found theirs at least.
• Post on local groups – make your days and hours crystal clear from the offset and you may just find someone local who wants to fill a few hours' work in the afternoons.
• Ask your local nursery setting if anyone wants some extra work. Some keyworkers may finish their shift or work mid afternoon and be able to take on a few more hours.
• After-school childcare agencies such as Korukids.co.uk are becoming more common so use Google to see if they have any availability in your area.
• Alternatively, use babysitting agencies such as Sitters.co.uk to book in regular help for the hours you need on a regular or ad-hoc basis.

What should you consider when meeting your after-school help?

If you’re hoping to hire an after-school help, it’s really important to get references. When you meet up, look at how they interact with your child.

Have they got lots of ideas on how to entertain and occupy them? Do their values on managing behaviour and on things like food and education broadly match your own?

Rosalind says:

‘Don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions when you’re speaking to any potential childcare providers.’

Pacey’s website also has a list of useful things to ask .

Bear in mind that you'll need to offer enough hours to make the job worthwhile for them, too. This may mean paying through school holidays or paying for more than what you actually need.

What to look for when visiting after-school childcare settings?

For after-school clubs and childminders, Rosalind recommends not taking your little one for the initial viewing.

She says:

'Visit the settings on your own first to find out more. How do you feel there? Once you’ve identified options you think might be suitable, only then go back with your child and see how settled and happy they seem? ’

During visits look at how staff respond to your child. Do they seem engaged, lively, interested and caring? What facilities and activities are there? Do they provide snacks or meals?

Rosalind also says:

'Trying to talk to other parents who use the club or childminder you’re considering.'

You could post on Netmums’ local boards to find parents in your area to ask for their views, but do remember you might have different needs or preferences to theirs.

How can you reduce the cost of after-school childcare?

Childcare rarely comes cheap and it can feel like half of your wages are swallowed up by it.

If you're still eligible for or enrolled in the Government's childcare vouchers scheme , this can help enormously with costs. And the newer Tax-Free Childcare scheme can help you cut costs and retain more of your hard-earned cash, although it does mean sticking to so-called ‘approved childcare’ choices.

These include:

• registered childminder or nanny, a playscheme, nursery or club
• childminders with an Ofsted-registered childminding agency
• a registered school
• a home careworker working for a registered home care agency.

The savings can amount to a very welcome £2,000 a year per child until their 11th birthday, provided you’re eligible (this depends on you and any partner’s earnings, your child’s age and circumstances, and your nationality).

Help, I can't get any after-school childcare at all!

A popular thread in our chat forum reveals a mum who had tried all options and none had availability.

Here's what Justine B posted:

'My DD starts school in September and at her school there are no before or after school clubs. Every childminder in that will pick up from the school is full. Phoned the school and they just said sorry there is no childcare. Really didn't expect it to be this difficult but I've been trying on and off for a few months now. No relatives in the area or anyone I know to pick her up ...'

Here's some of the advice fellow Netmums gave her:

'Do any of the local nurseries do an after-school care, ours go and pick up from the school and take children up to 8 years.' beverley m(49) .

'Have you been through the councils or have you any friends that could pick DD up?' sarah p(1017) .

'Have you tried you local Netmums childcare board ? You can put an advert on there asking for childcare - it's read by childminders, nannies etc so it's definitely worth a try.' Anna F(8) .

Justine B updated Netmums with what she managed to sort out:

'Thanks again for all the replies. In the end I managed to change my hours at work so I can take her and pick her up every day by doing 3 short days and 1 day from home then 1 day with my LO - very happy about this as is my daughter, not sure how long it will last as loots of changes at work but very pleased to have that for now.

'I did get replies from childcare.co.uk and 1 from NetMums so it is worth trying there, no-one registered yet but 2 getting registered so if anyone else is in the same boat they are worth trying though post as early as you can.'

Still have questions about after-school childcare options? Or maybe you have tips for fellow mums? Share them in our chat thread below.

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