Need help&advise on becoming a registered childminder

sansp

Can some one help me by giving some valuable advise on starting career as a childminder
I left my work 2 years ago after the birth of my second child. Though I have been trying to go back to work, the wages are so crap that I will not earn enough to pay the child minder.(have 2 kids 3.5yrs and 22 months). Now recently I have been thinking of becoming a childminder. Though I have 2 kids of my own, looking after some one else's child is different.To be honest I need some one to share their experience..am sure there are many who might have had the same thoughts/feelings as me....

Thanks,
sans

Deepmistrust

sansp wrote: »

Can some one help me by giving some valuable advise on starting career as a childminder
I left my work 2 years ago after the birth of my second child. Though I have been trying to go back to work, the wages are so crap that I will not earn enough to pay the child minder.(have 2 kids 3.5yrs and 22 months). Now recently I have been thinking of becoming a childminder. Though I have 2 kids of my own, looking after some one else's child is different.To be honest I need some one to share their experience..am sure there are many who might have had the same thoughts/feelings as me....

Thanks,
sans

Setting up is not easy. You have to do a 16 hour course initially, you have undergo training in Safeguarding children and Paediatric first aid. You will be expected to meet Ofsteds standards, and follow the Early Years Foundation Stage which includes recording and observing children so they can reach the main learning goals. In addition you will have to run your own business, take care of your own accounts and marketing. You will have to purchase your own equipment (some LA offer grants to set up). You and your home will be inspected by Ofsted. For every child you have under 8 of your own, you will forfeit a potential vacancy, likewise for every child you have under 3 of your own, you will forfeit a vacancy. Initially you can only look after 1 child in the early years bracket (0-5). Hourly pay per child is low, but can be more worthy if you look after more than one at any one time - but earning opportunities will improve as you become more succesful and when your own child starts school.

On the plus side, you will be your own boss, and responsible for your own destiny, and you will be the sole beneficator of the fruits of your labour. Your children will never be short of playmates, and they get to stay with mum, rather than go into childcare themselves.

Childminders are assessed in much the same way as nurseries - you will be expected to provide a variety of opportunties for the children in your care to achieve their learning goals. You are expected to have some policies in place covering topics such as "keeping children safe", "Healthy eating" etc etc.

It's not a decision to take lightly, it will involve lots of graft, and initially you may not see the benefits in your income. (Like starting many businesses I guess!).


Good luck with your decision.

brians_daughter

I have done all the courses via my local council. If you google 'becoming a childminder in x mbc' it should find your local authorities contact details. They were a MASSIVE help to me when i did it. A lot of the courses in my area were free, regardless of income etc as there is a shortage. They will be able to give you online info,send packs out etc and they should have a contact number and name for you to call to discuss it further. They will prob send you more info and initial taster course dates etc Good Luck! With the right guidance it can be quite a painless process. They even held seminars on starting your own business, how to market your business, how to deal with HMRC, groups for childminders in teh area, they even set it up for us to have an experienced childminder as a mentor so we could go spend time with them, see how it really works in practice etc. The mentor i had is now a good friend!

You have to put in the graft, but i had someone to hold my hand throughout the process via local council. There were many courses such as general childminder courses, how to prepare for ofstead inspections, first aid, healthy eating, how to play safe, suitable activities, child development the list goes on and on but for me it was all facinating and worth it.

You will need (well, probably) to have your own home adapted,and ofstead may insist you do not allow children in certian rooms ie in my house kids cant go upstairs as per ofstead. You will need to provide suitable rooms for sleep and quite times if kids want a sleep and room for play and usually they like you to have a garden(although this in in no way a must have). There are many grants available in my area for toys etc

sansp

Thanks for the posts.I have contacted the local council for an application pack..Let us see how is goes..thanks again

xmaslolly76

Never done it myself but i have had conversations with my childminder along the lines of if she was thinking of starting up now she wouldnt bother as there is so much red tape all the ofsted stuff she has to do in my opinion is silly but she does love her job and she loves the children she looks after so she soldiers on. I think it is something you have to really want to do now where as before it may have been the easy option for a sahm to earn some extra money where as now it is definitely a vocation imho.

If it is truely what you want to do then i wish you all the luck there is a serious lack of good childminders out there :-)

sueeve

Perhpas it is a bit ott to put this, but are you confident that everyone who could be in contact with the children e.g.partner, parent if regularly at your house, would get the enhanced CRB clearance? I have heard of someone putting a lot of effort into something similar before realising there might be a problem.

datostar

xmaslolly76 wrote: »

Never done it myself but i have had conversations with my childminder along the lines of if she was thinking of starting up now she wouldnt bother as there is so much red tape all the ofsted stuff she has to do in my opinion is silly but she does love her job and she loves the children she looks after so she soldiers on. I think it is something you have to really want to do now where as before it may have been the easy option for a sahm to earn some extra money where as now it is definitely a vocation imho.

If it is truely what you want to do then i wish you all the luck there is a serious lack of good childminders out there :-)

My daughter got all the qualifications and worked as a childminder for a while, but as yours has said all the red tape and Ofsted requirements got too much for her. She then made a reasonable income babysitting in homes and country house hotels with her childminder registration as a trustworthy qualification. Occasional 'celebrity' clients, too! I suppose that's always another option.

Bitsy_Beans

I am a CM - been doing it a year so EYFS came in not long after I started. There is paperwork, how much you have to do I think can vary between Ofsted Inspectors <rollseyes> It's the hardest job I've done - no tea breaks, constantly on the go but I love being with the kids. I do find the planning and paperwork a chore but it's a part of the job.
Can I say Ofsted and EYFS expect outdoor play EVERYDAY (yep even in darkest coldest winter LOL!), if you live in a flat you can still childmind but you will have to prove to Ofsted that how you intend to give children access to outside play eg local park etc.

Can I suggest www.childmindinghelp.co.uk - it's a fantastic website (free to join) and the forums are a fantastic source of information and help. I am a member there and I couldn't have done this job without all the support and help on there.

Good luck

izoomzoom

Bitsy_Beans wrote: »

I

Can I suggest www.childmindinghelp.co.uk - it's a fantastic website (free to join) and the forums are a fantastic source of information and help. I am a member there and I couldn't have done this job without all the support and help on there.

Good luck

Excellent site

gabyjane

Hi i'm a CM too and have to say i echo all the great advise above. I have been doing it for almost 5 years and love my job! It has been hard in the past with different children but i reckon far more enjoyable days than not! My husband is my assistant so he can help out of need be which is handy but again like others have said make sure everyone over the age of 16 is CRB checked and that this isn't a point you may come stuck. I love being my own boss and waking up in the morning and doing what i want to do, the money has always been very good as i have always been pretty busy and am currently full so at the moment like i said fab..BUT it doesn't last so think that into the equation on how you would manage if things dried up? I find the paperwork/EYFS work fine so long as you stay on top of it as there is a LOT!, the tax is quite easy once done a few times and the tax office is always very helpful!

Good luck and you will know more once you get your pack through. x