I worked in nursery & there's 5 red flags when choosing one for your child and the two areas that ALWAYS need to be seen
FEELING nervous about your child taking the first big leap into education, as they prepare for nursery?
You want to make it absolutely certain that you've found the right place for your little one - and one that will cater for their needs the best.
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Heather, from Lancashire, worked in a nursery for close to eight years and is now sharing helpful advice online
Credit: tiktok/@heather_motherhood
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The childcare expert listed five common nursery red flags to look for - as well as two areas that always need to be seen
Credit: Getty
But if you're yet to start the search and there are plenty of options nearby, fear not, as one former nursery worker has shared five
According to Heather, there are always ''things to definitely consider and look out for'', such as ensuring ''the hygiene conditions are top-notch''.
''View the nappy changing station, view the toilets and have a really good nosey and look around.
read more on parenting
''If anything looks a bit 'mmm', just bear in mind like if it looks like that when you are viewing a nursery, just consider it.
''Because this should be top-notch. Your child is being looked after in that care, so the hygiene should be up there,'' she said in
Another key point that could be a major red flag is inconsistent staff or high-turnover of staff.
''This is a huge one to make sure you look out for.''
Most read in Fabulous
Heather - who posts under the username @
''You want to know everything about these staff members that potentially may be looking after your children.''
Mum is instantly mortified as she returns from the school run, looks in the mirror & realises her almighty outfit fail
Following from that one is observing staff interaction with the children.
''You want to make sure that they are interacting with them for one - and also that they're patient and they're not rough.''
The latter is indeed crucial, as one worker at £1,900-a-month nursery ''
Roksana Lecka allegedly left the children with scratches to their faces and necks and pinch marks on their inner legs and stomachs.
The 22-year-old is accused of "badly harming" the tots over a six month period while working at the Riverside Nursery in Twickenham, South West London.
What help is available to parents for childcare costs?
CHILDCARE can be a costly business. Here is how you can get help.
30 hours of
free childcare - Parents of three and four-year-olds can apply for 30 hours of free childcare a week.
To qualify you must work at least 16 hours a week at the national living or minimum wage and earn less than £100,000 a year.
Tax credits -
For children under 20, some families can get help with childcare costs.
Tax-free childcare -
Available to working families and the self-employed, for every £8 you put in the government will add an extra £2.
The nursery, which charges up to £1,900 a month to look after children aged between 18 months and two years, follows the Montessori method of
Jurors heard 23 of the children were harmed at the nursery, while a 24th count of child cruelty refers to an offence that allegedly took place before Lecka started.
Heather said: ''Make sure you're looking out and are watching what is going on while you are viewing a nursery.''
Another important aspect if finding out what quality training the staff members have had, the lack of it, as well as what level of training they're on.
''If they have more unqualified staff to qualified staff, that for me is a concern.''
When visiting a nursery for a viewing it's also crucial to find out as much as possible about all the policies in place and ask all the necessary questions.
''If they're not able to answer it in a professional and a correct way [...], that is definitely a red flag for me.''
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