The way parents search for childcare has changed significantly—but the systems supporting that search have not kept pace. For many early years providers, this has created a growing disconnect between how families make decisions and how nurseries receive and manage enquiries.
As both a new mum and the founder of Woddle, this is something I experienced first-hand. What should have been a straightforward process felt fragmented, time-consuming, and often unclear. That experience became the starting point for exploring how nursery search could work better—for both parents and providers.
The Current Landscape: Challenges for Nurseries
Most nurseries today rely on a combination of word-of-mouth, local reputation, and online directories to attract new families. While these channels can still be effective, they are not without limitations.
A common concern across the sector is the reliance on subscription-based platforms. In many cases, nurseries pay a fixed monthly or annual fee for visibility, regardless of how many enquiries they receive—or how relevant those enquiries are. This can make it difficult to measure return on investment, particularly in quieter periods.
Alongside this, enquiry management itself can be resource-intensive. Teams often spend valuable time responding to initial questions around funding, availability, or suitability—many of which could be addressed earlier in the parent journey.
How Parents Search Today
Parents today are more digitally driven, time-poor, and information-focused than ever before. They expect quick access to clear, comparable information and often review multiple options before making contact.
From speaking to other parents—and through my own experience—some of the most important decision factors include:
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Funding options and eligibility
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Ofsted ratings
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Location and travel convenience
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Facilities, environment, and approach to learning
When this information isn’t readily available or is inconsistent across different sources, parents tend to reach out to multiple nurseries just to build a basic understanding. This often results in a higher volume of early-stage, low-intent enquiries for providers.
The Role of Structured and Transparent Information
One of the clearest opportunities for improvement lies in how information is presented.
When nursery profiles are structured and standardised, parents can more easily compare options and make informed decisions before getting in touch. This reduces uncertainty and helps ensure that when a parent does enquire, they already have a clearer understanding of what the nursery offers.
From a provider perspective, this can lead to:
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More relevant and considered enquiries
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Fewer repetitive questions
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More efficient use of staff time
At Woddle, this principle has been central to how we think about nursery profiles—ensuring that key information is upfront, consistent, and genuinely useful to parents navigating the process.
A Shift Towards Outcome-Based Models
Another area that is beginning to evolve is how platforms charge for their services.
Traditional subscription models have dominated the space for years, but they don’t always align cost with outcomes. Increasingly, there is interest in models that are more closely linked to performance—where value is tied to actual parent engagement rather than visibility alone.
Through conversations with nursery owners, a recurring theme has been the frustration of “paying for presence” without clear results. This has prompted a wider discussion around whether alternative approaches—such as paying per enquiry—can offer better transparency and accountability.
Woddle has been built with this in mind, exploring a model where nurseries are only charged when a parent makes a direct enquiry. The intention is to create a clearer link between cost and value, while encouraging higher-quality matches between families and providers.
Reducing Administrative Burden
Time is one of the most constrained resources in any nursery setting.
By improving how and when information is shared, there is an opportunity to reduce the volume of repetitive, early-stage enquiries and streamline communication. Features such as clear funding indicators, visibility of availability, and integrated booking or messaging tools can all contribute to a more efficient process.
The goal is not to replace human interaction, but to ensure that when conversations do happen, they are more meaningful and productive.
Adapting to Changing Search Behaviour
It’s also important to recognise that parent behaviour continues to evolve. Search is no longer limited to traditional directories—parents are increasingly discovering nurseries through mobile-first platforms, social media, and even AI-driven tools.
For providers, this means that visibility is no longer just about being listed—it’s about being discoverable in the places where parents are actively searching today.
Platforms like Woddle are being designed with this shift in mind, ensuring that nursery information is structured in a way that supports modern search behaviours, not just legacy systems.
A More Aligned Future
At its core, improving nursery search is about alignment.
Better alignment between:
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What parents need to make decisions
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How nurseries present their offering
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And how value is delivered and measured
Woddle is one example of how this can be approached—shaped by real parent experience, but built with a strong awareness of the operational challenges nurseries face. You can learn more about the platform at woddle.co.uk.
Conclusion
The early years sector plays a vital role in supporting families, yet the systems around it have not always kept up with changing expectations.
By focusing on transparency, structured information, and more outcome-driven models, there is an opportunity to create a more effective and balanced ecosystem—one that supports both parents making important decisions and the providers delivering essential care.
For many of us, this isn’t just a professional challenge—it’s a personal one too.
