Our Childcare Brokerage Service supports parents and carers who are experiencing difficulty in finding suitable childcare for:
- children aged 0 to 14
- young people up to 18 years old if they have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)
Find further information about SEND support on our Local Offer pages.
The Childcare Brokerage Service is a free service for all parents and carers, but we will prioritise cases according to need.
Who we help
The service can help families who:
- need support finding a funded early learning and childcare place for their child
- are looking for a childcare place for a child who has SEND
- are caring for a child with support needs other than SEND
- are worried about approaching childcare providers or schools themselves
- wish to return to work, study or training but are finding childcare a barrier
What we do
The service can work with and support parents, carers and providers by:
- offering individual support, advice and guidance on childcare options and the benefits of different types of childcare
- contacting childcare providers on behalf of parents and carers to check for vacancies
- working with parents and carers and identified childcare providers to support children with specific support needs to access a place
- building partnerships with all types of childcare providers to meet the needs
- supporting parents and carers wishing to return to work or training by signposting them to employment support services
How to request help
To request support, please complete our online request form:
Contact childcare and early years
Contact online