Finding Childcare In Doncaster

Doncaster Families Information Service

Do you need to find child care for the first time or change your childcare arrangement? Are you interested in working with children? One call does it all for information on:

• Nurseries
• Childminders
• Holiday Playschemes
• Pre-school Playgroups
• Parent/Toddler groups

Doncaster Families Information Service Website

The new Families Information Service website can be found on www.doncasterchildrenandfamilies.info This is a resource for families and professional, enabling them to access information on a wide range of subjects including:

• Childcare Search - with up-to-date details of all registered childcare in Doncaster.
• Family Service Directory - providing information that is likely to be of benefit to parents, prospective parents, children or young people.
• Children with Disabilities - containing links and information to local and national services.  This includes a library of downloadable leaflets on a range of subjects, which may be of benefit to disabled children or children with Special Educational Needs, young people or their parents.
• Integrated Family Support Service (IFSS) - an outline of the IFSS and contact details for the four Area Officers / Managers.
• Children's Centres -   information about Doncaster's 21 children's centres and the activities they offer.

• Childcare Careers - job vacancies within the childcare sector, including how to become a childminder.

The free phone number 0800 138 4568 operates Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm, outside of these hours there is an answer phone service available. 

Alternatively, the email address is fis@doncaster.gov.uk where all queries will be responded to within three working days.

Childcare Brokerage Service

In partnership with the Integrated Family Support Service the Families Information Service offers a Childcare Brokerage Service which provides advice, guidance and practical one to one support for your children and young people aged 0-19 years (up to 24 years if the young person has a disability).

Parents can access the Childcare Brokerage Service free of charge either through the:

• Families Information Service
• The Integrated Family Support Service, which incorporates children's centres, youth services and family support.    

Who can access the Childcare Brokerage Service?

This service is for parents / carers: 

• who are considering returning to work or training and are unsure of their childcare options.
• who cannot find suitable childcare from the relevant lists obtained from the Families Information Service.
• who have a child/ren with additional needs.

What can the Childcare Brokerage Service do to help you?

Traditionally, families who have a child with a disability struggle to find appropriate childcare.  The Childcare Brokerage Service can support you with your childcare options and try to help you to secure a place with the setting you have chosen.  Potentially, more in-depth suport could be required from a range of specific support services who may need to be involved in order to co-ordinate childcare to suit your family's circumstances, and the Brokerage Service would be able to help you with this by: 

• contacting providers on your behalf,
• providing information regarding alternative childcare options,
• accompanying you on a visit to the childcare provider,
• providing on to one support,
• referrals to other agencies,    (This list is not exhaustive)

For more information about the Childcare Brokerage Service or to discuss your options with the team, contact Doncaster Families Information Service using the contact details above.