Haringey Childcare Information Service

My childcare has broken down, where can I find out about alternative care?Who will care for my child after school and in the holidays?
My maternity leave is nearly over, who will look after my baby when I return to work?
My child needs to socialise with others, what facilities are available?

Questions like these may sound very familiar to parents/carers who have in the past tried to access childcare for a variety of reasons, whether at home with their children or busy juggling working and raising a family. Haringey Childcare Information Service was born out of the idea of making information around childcare accessible and accurate for parents/carers who live or work in the borough and so allowing them to make a real choice of which childcare package would suit theirs and their families’ needs.

For many parents the decision of placing their child with a carer is a hard one, especially in the present climate where many reports show conflicting views on the experiences of children in day care. The truth is that for many parents there is no real choice involved and they must return to work for financial reasons or it may be that after being the sole carer for a number of years parents are isolated and lonely and ready to take on another role other than that of carer. Many of our calls are from parents who may not necessarily know what they need. Here at HCIS we therefore try to explain the options available to each individual and tailor a package to meet their needs. This may take the shape of a childminder who will look after their baby from 8am until 6pm, having picked up their eldest child from nursery or suggesting a nanny because they need someone who can be flexible, sometimes at short notice. We may get a call from parents coping with unexpected twins or those who have found out that their child has a special need, although we do not claim to be experts in all of these areas we do hold information on those who are, so that callers can quickly and easily be put in touch with the most appropriate organisations. Whatever the query we aim to advise parents so that they themselves can make an informed choice.

Childcare information services are springing up around the country offering parents a sympathetic ear to their childcare worries, although Haringey is one of the first London boroughs to establish such a service. HCIS was launched in November of last year and now on average takes over one hundred calls per week. The service is staffed by three full-time workers and a part-time volunteer. The phone-line is open between the hours of 9am and 4pm and an ansaphone operates outside of these hours. Alternatively callers are able to phone to make an appointment, in advance, if they would prefer to see an information officer in person or they could visit us at one of our surgeries. At present these operate on the second Thursday of every month at Mothercare in Wood Green and on the third Thursday of each month at the Mid-Tottenham Housing Office.

For working parents/carers the help-line offers them the opportunity to pick-up the phone and access up to date information. We appreciate that this may not always be possible as many employees do not want their managers knowing that they are experiencing childcare problems, many working parents still find it difficult to approach their managers for help and advice. Thus resulting in high absenteeism and over subscription of annual leave during school holidays. We are therefore working directly with employers to let them know about HCIS and how it could help them and their employees. This service is at the moment being concentrated on the East side of the borough due to the nature of our funding.

HCIS secured funding from a number of different sources including, European Regional Development Fund, Upper Lee Valley Partnership, North London TEC, Tottenham Task Force, Partners in Regeneration and Haringey Council. Our work is particularly focused on the Tottenham area as part of the regeneration process. Being part of Haringey Council and working in partnership with the Day Care Team from Housing and Social Services means we have access to information on all registered childcare providers, who we are constantly in touch with to up-date information and vacancies. Hence the service also allows childcare providers a place to advertise their vacancies and the services which they offer.

If you have any queries around childcare or need guiding through the maze of provision out there, simply give us a call on 0181 801 1234 and our Information Officers can advise you on the options available to you.

Many thanks to Haringey Childcare Information Service for the article.