Parent and Toddler groups provide toys and activities for young children and an opportunity for parents to chat and socialise with other adults.

These groups are not suitable as childcare as parent/carer stays with the child, but many childminders and nannies take the children they care for to parent and toddler groups.

All groups provide an opportunity for play. This may include paint, dough, sticking and sand as well as opportunities for more physical play such as trikes and push-alongs, imaginative play and of course books.

Toddler groups are places where adults can meet with their children and children get the chance to play, whilst adults can both chat and join in the play. There are a variety of different names for groups and they meet in places such as church halls, community centres, family centres and family restaurants.

Toddler groups aim to provide play opportunities for children aged from birth to school age with a parent or carer accompanying the child(ren) at all times. Parents stay with the children and toddler groups are not classified as childcare. They are not registered and inspected. Some of the toddler groups are run by playgroups (or pre-schools) and often the children move on to playgroup at the same premises. Playgroups cater for children aged 2½ and over and children stay there without their parents to get play and learning opportunities. There is a separate information sheet about playgroups.

The people organising toddler groups may be volunteers or paid staff. If they are run by volunteers then parents and carers may be encouraged to get involved in helping. This may be with the organisation or perhaps occasional fundraising activities. You can choose whether to get involved in these activities. Sometimes this type of involvement has led on to a career working with young children. If this interests you we have a recruitment officer who can help you get started. You can reach the recruitment officer on 0800 587 8042.

The charges for toddler groups vary according to the organisation of the group and whether they are paid staff. Groups usually meet once or twice a week often for a couple of hours. Some have a waiting list but may operate on a ‘drop-in’ basis.

They do not have to be registered with Ofsted and there are no quality standards for them to meet. Some indicators of a good quality are:

• Clean safe premises, warm enough for small children to play
• Clean unbroken toys
• Records kept of children and families attending and financial records
• Access to a telephone for an emergency
• More than one exit from the building in case of fire
• A first aid kit should be available
• Other reasonable safety measures should be in place
• No smoking or alcohol should be allowed when the children are on the premises

These measures are only a guide and the best toddler group for you and your child is the one where you feel most welcome and included.

These groups do not have to register with Ofsted as the adults attending are responsible for their own children and must remain with them at all times.

Parent and Toddler Groups are usually run by local parents. They can sometimes be organised by a committee of parents jointly with a pre-school or by an individual such as a health visitor or local church.

Parent and Toddler groups are usually open for a few hours either in the morning or afternoons a few times a week, during school hours.

Parent and Toddler groups do not have to be registered with Ofsted so there are no ‘standards’ for them to meet but you may wish to look for some of the following:

You may wish to visit several groups before deciding which to attend. When you go for the first time don’t be afraid to ask questions. Here are some suggestions?

Quality Pointers

• Clean safe premises, warm enough for small children to play
• Records kept of children and families attending
• Access to a telephone for an emergency
• More than one exit from the building in case of fire
• Do we have insurance cover?
• Is there a no smoking policy for the session?
• Are the kitchen areas out of bounds to children?
• Is equipment checked regularly to ensure it’s in good order?
• Is there a First Aider present and is there a stocked First Aid Box?

These measures are only a guide and the best toddler group for you and your child is the one where you feel welcome and included.

Charges for toddler groups vary according to the organisation of the group and whether there are any paid staff. Some groups are free to attend but others can charge around 50p to £2.50 per session.

All groups are different and you may decide that you would like to visit a number of them before finding one that is right for you. Toddler groups do vary in the way they run but in the majority responsibility is shared and everyone does something to help. It can feel particularly rewarding to be part of a group where everyone works together for the benefit of all concerned.

Contact Wakefield District Children’s Information Service and ask for a list of Parent and Toddler groups in your area.

Many groups are members of the Pre-School Learning Alliance, a national charity which promotes high standards of quality care amongst different types of pre-school provision. They provide support, advice and training and publish many helpful books on all aspects of childcare.

Useful contacts and web sites:

• Wakefield District Sure Start Partnership
  Childcare Development Team
  Telephone: 01924 305630
  Email: information@wakefield.gov.uk

  Childcare development team support day nurseries to ensure quality of the childcare provided and they are meeting Ofsted registration requirements. If you want to discuss any aspect or concern of your nursery care please contact the development team.



• Wakefield Pre School Learning Alliance
  Julie Baker
  Telephone: 01924 387700
  Email: jbpla.wakefield@virgin.net
  Website: www.pre-school.org.uk

  Pre school Learning Alliance offer general advice and support on funding to support children 0-3 in under 5’s settings, advice and support to settings for children 3- 8 years in out of schools clubs.

Due to the fact that Parent and Toddler groups are not registered by Ofsted then if there are any complaints Ofsted will not deal with them. However, if you do have any complaints then you may be able to raise them with a member of the committee at the hall where the group is held.