CM Club: WHere have all the children gone?

Yes, to take Childcare Vouchers as in salary sacrifice schemes from employers, childminders need to be registered CM, and complete a form including their OFSTED (or other relevant registration depending on where they are) number - my CM hadn't heard of them but she agreed to fill out the form.

Children's Centres in my area of London are £35 a day under 3 (and often very limited nos of baby places) and £30 over 3. Some CMs charge more, lots very similar, ours slightly less. She was newly registered about a year ago, and I don't know if that prompted her to set a lower price. But she's a great carer, a mum of 5 who takes doing it as a job very seriously.

I dont think this is anything new. It took me 8 months after registering to be bursting full.

I realise that, and so have posponed the date that dd will be attending any form of childcare for a year.

As for prices at children centres i attended a mother and toddler group and the price advertised there is £5 for a session 9.30-12 or 12.30-3, i dont really know how that compares to a cm.

Problem is that you're going to get EYFS in nurseries and play-schools as well!
People are getting so worked up about EYFS, it's just a way to make sure that whoever is caring for your child is ACTUALLY doing it and not just plonking them in front of the TV having coffee all day.
EYFS should not be a reason for not going to CMs as even "Montesori play-schools" have to follow the curriculum.
They may even bring it into creches soon, especially if they are over a few hours a day.

not a childminder but if you would like anothe perspective,

dd is 2.4 and i was planning on putting her into some form of care this month for two afternoons but EYFS has put me off, she will go to the preschool when she gets those vouchers now until then she will go to gym creche so i can exercise a bit and perhaps into the childrens centre creche if i feel i need a bit more of a break

my local childrens centre all over a free creche if you do a course (typical adult leisure and learning prog) and reduced rate creche/day care if you go off site

Before i would have preferred a cm as there was less monitoring etc but as eyfs has changed that, with regard to unregistered care, i dont atm but would consider paying a close friend to have dd if she spent all her time caring and plsayong with dd, not charting fridhe temp or counting no of words in sentence, sorry

(can you guess im anti eyfs?)

oh good! I've approached a new CM about minding ds and wanted to ask if she'd take them and go armed with the facts about how to do it and being paid using them etc.

That's why i'm amazed as no point on our ICP training (childminder) were we told that we could accept vouchers!
Do you know what, i learn more on this forum than anywhere else!

That's interesting, so we can take employers childcare vouchers even if we are not accredited?
It's just the nursery vouchers that cause the problem.
Thanks for that info!

I take Childcare vouchers from all my children, CM's can use them as well.

re ripeberry's comment on childcare vouchers, is that true, that CM's don't take them? I thought any registered carer could take them? I may well be very wrong. Would like to know though as we're set up having them deducted from dh's wages and currently use a nursery but in Jan i'm hoping to swap to a cm and was hoping to still be able to use them, if the cm was able and willing to take them.

i'm the opposite at the mo i have kids coming out my ears esp a wednesday, i have 4 kids spread out through the week during term time and 6 kids during the holidays plus my own 2 thats enough for me lol

Ripeberry - don't charge a lower rate just because you are a new childminder. You are entitled to charge whatever the going rate is.

Everyone keeps talking about these children centers (don't think they've opened one around here-yet!), but is it because they are cheaper or do they take childcare vouchers?
It's such a pity CMs can't take those vouchers .

Hello All...

I don't know where your all based but I'm up on the east coast..and there doesnt appear to be any children?!

Nurseries and childrens ctr's are full to busting..a couple of childminders are full but the rest of us are empty!

I became a CM so I could be here for my DD..but with things as they are at the mo financially I think I am going to have to go back to work.
Unless I get that all important phone call!!

I feel like I am constantly waiting for the phone to ring!

. X

The Prisoner, yes i think it will be difficult to start as a CM, as most seem to be recomended.
I'm just trying to set up as a CM and in the meantime, putting my name down to help out at the local pre-school as a parent helper just to get an idea of the EYFS way of doing things.
I know that i will have to start at a low-rate to get custom but at the same time i don't want to annoy all the other CMs.
It's a tightrope situation!

I have just moved area and am full and turning away!

same in my last place, BUT I am on RAF base and thinking that may be why, there is a fulltime day care very close, but still getting calls

I think that trying to find out if there is a demand for childminders in the area is actually quite difficult.

Our CIS constantly confirm that they are receiving phone calls from interested parents wanting CMs, but local CMs with spaces are not getting the calls.

Unfortunately, some new minders think that just being registered is all that is needed to get work.

In addition, during their registration course, they have been told the "going hourly rate", which is often incorrect, and has given false expectations.

I am actually finding it quite hard to mentor new CMs .

TP, I am a new cm, well that new i havent had my registration cert through yet, I have gone into this with my eyes open, but it seems that most dont, I was the only one on my icp course that asked the support co ordinators whether there was actually the demand in our area, they replied that we had to do our own investigations into whether the business was viable in our area, which tbh as a self employed business person you should do anyway. Our area has alot of childminders who have vacancies but in all honesty if there had not been a grant for training etc i doubt most would have gone as far as they have.

I recently lost a mindee because of EYFS. His parents didn't want him to be monitored etc so he is now being minded by both sets of grandparents who have gone part time in their jobs to be able to look after him.

aye it's not on is it TP - I was told the same when I regged a while ago and it's only in last month I am full up

I feel really bad for these new childminders - they have all their written stuff in place, and are raring to go. They do not understand why they are not getting phone calls.

They are under the impression that there is lots of work around, I think I am going to find out what they are being told when they do their ICP course, because they are being very mis-informed.

TP - our area is also actively recruiting CMs which is madness, I think I am the only person I know in my group of local CM who is full( granted I don't know all of them though) mind you that's only been in the last month I have been full.