Paying another mum to take my child home

It used to be common for a woman to take in kids keep them in a room with nothing to do while parents worked thankfully we are moving away from the tie the babies to a chair days.
This woman is not doing one child for a bit of money because the going rate for one child on an odd day would not be worth it she is obviously going to be taking as many as she can, you don't break the law every week for a £10......and as I already asked why would you pay someone you don't know who is breaking the law and not got any insurance the same rate as someone who has been police checked offers activities has first aid and insurance?

So is shoplifting but it doesn’t stop people pointing out it’s illegal

It makes me the laugh the amount of people saying it's illegal when it's common practice in rl

In using unregistered care, you have no way (and no legal right) to know if the person is safe, if their premises are safe, who else might have contact with your child when you're not there.

You have to take the person on trust, but how trustworthy can you really say they are? By definition, they are already deceiving people like the childcare regulators, HMRC, their insurance company, and others. If they'll deceive big organisations like these, they sure as " " lie to mums.

We've had some unpleasant cases locally. One of these 'helpful mums' left other people's children in the back area of the family chip shop whilst she worked front of shop.

Another had around a dozen children, even though most the mums thought it was just one or two. She covered what she was doing by often leaving some of them across the road with her housebound elderly mother.

Keep it informal and ask her what she wants. Then if it's too much it's negotiable, people usually ask for more than they expect to get, to allow for haggling.

A registered childminder typically earns between £4 and £7 an hour after costs.

underneaththeash - If a child is injured and it comes out you have knowingly put them in a car that is not insured it can be deemed putting a child at risk - any car that is used for transporting children for reward must have the correct insurance.
If you use unregistered care who then starts having more and more children (as many do) and a child gets hurt you have knowingly put them at risk many of the reports of childminders over minding in my area are not actually childminders but illegals with numerous children who started off with doing a favour for a friend and because they got away with one now have 6 and unlike registered care is making and keeping every penny of the fee they charge so are actually on £30 to £50 an hour. No tax, no insurance, no first aid, and some don't even have toys just a tv. (incidentally their homes are not insured either so if they own them and have a fire or break in they cant claim on their household insurance legally either) It is a parents legal duty to protect their child if a child gets hurt in the care of others they do get investigated (I have had the children removed from illegal childcare after an injury the investigation took 4 weeks and the parents were looked at).

The law says a friend can do a mutual favour. The problem here is that it is not a mutual favour, it is providing childcare for reward.

There is a way around the legislation - your friend comes to your home and provides the care there, like a babysitter/nanny.

Jannier - no she wouldn't as it's not illegal to use an unregistered childminder only to be one.

It wouldn't be something I would do though as I wouldn't want a friend to be at risk of prosecution.

It amazes me on so many other posts we hear about the costs of childcare being too high etc. yet a friend without over heads is worth paying more than someone with overheads, qualifications, insurance etc. How is someone getting paid over the going rate of professional care doing another a favour?

Find out what a rate would be for after school clubs and childminders in your area and then pay at least 20% less imo.

underneaththeash - she could get into trouble if it comes to light especially if a child gets injured even a minor hospital trip for a bumped head or sprain can result in a social services visit, a quiet chat with a worried parent waiting for a brain scan or an anxious child in the hospital has been known to stir up all sorts of problems.

If the going rate for qualified insured first aid trained childcare that provides food and activities is £10 why would you consider paying as much or more for someone who has no insurance - including invalidating their own car insurance, possibly has no first aid and will not be paying any tax, NI, registration fees etc? She obviously want to take on more children as she wouldn't be considering doing it for an extra £10 a week less food.

The rule in childcare is 2 hours not 3.

I'd give her £10 a day, but it is illegal and she could get into trouble (you won't) if found out...

Our after school club is £7.50 from 3.15pm to 6pm.

Includes a snack/ beans on toast type stuff

So, perhaps you want to talk about (for e.g.) friday playdates, not childcare 😀

Our after school club costs £9 for 3:25-6pm. So I'd have said £7.50-10 for a friend who is picking up/informal arrangement. Sorry, guess I came in lower than everyone else! But what a lovely thing for a friend to do. And PP is right, it could be considered playdates and that you're donating towards his meal and craft supplies he uses at your friend's house, if you have no contract. He'd not be covered by childminder insurance but if it was really playdates, he'd be covered by usual house insurance.

To get around the legality of it give her £10 to cover the child's meal, don't pay her to mind him. This goes on in every street of every town, every day I'm sure.

I would check what a local childminder would charge and pay a little less as she had no tax or insurance to pay

Get 2/3 local quotes and just agree with her

agent of course they do. But no one talks about the exchange of payment.

Oh, FGS, these informal cash-in-hand arrangements happen all the time - that’s how the world works.

OP, I’d suggest £15.

There are some exceptions to the rule that if over 2 hours they need to be registered-

If you provide your childcare at the home of the child you are looking after, then Ofsted registration is not required, and there are no restrictions.

If the childcare you’re providing is for less than 2 hours a day or no more than 14 days of childcare per year from a specific address. (This equates to nearly 3 weeks if you are looking at weekday childcare).

If you provide childcare between the hours of 6pm to 2am.

If you only care for a child or children aged under 8 whom you are related to. A relative means a grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother or sister of a child (or half-brother or sister) or someone you are related to through marriage or civil partnership.

If the children concerned are older than 8 years old, then there are no restrictions.

Well in that case the arrangement needs to happen at OPs house.

Or no payment take place.

It would be legal if OP looked after friends child one day in return so no monetary (or equivalent) payment for services takes place.

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat I’m sure they changed it to 3 hours but I’m happy to be corrected. Will check now