CM Club: WHere have all the children gone?

It worries me about the new childminders who are being recruited. I am mentor to new or currently-getting-registered childminders, and have 10 (all in the last 3 months). I am not the only mentor in the area either.

The ones who have already registered have had no phone calls at all, although they are on the "immediate vacancies" list with the CIS.

tis quiet here as well. I actually have a space coming up (was booked but Mum now not going back to work) will be the first space I have had in 10 years, although have had a couple of tentative enquiries fro it.

It's a pity as I was actually happier with dd1 going to a childminder and my last CM treated her like one of the family.

But now I have to rely on my sister picking them up from nursery at 6pm, looking after them until I finish work at 8pm and then my parents look after them for a full day as well.

I had thought about becoming a CM myself but on checking the childcare website, all the local CM's have lots of vacancies, which is a real pity.

Quiet here also but I do have 2 PP comming to visit next week. 1 wants 1 day for 2 children and the other wants 2 mornings.
It would help money wise but I will still have spaces left. Just not sure about mornings only though!

Thank you cali, it's very useful to get different perspectives on issues like this one.

Hope you don't mind me replying, I'm not a childminder but have used them in the past but now I have to use a mixture of nursery and relatives to help me out.

I've had fab CM's but whilst on ML my CM told me she was moving and I couldn't find a replacement to look after my 2 dd's when i returned to work.

I work 12.5 hours shifts and needed care for 1 1/2 days per week. I contacted lots but only had 1 response, which was a "no".

I also had to take time off work when my last CM couldn't look after dd1 and now that they are in a nursery, I am no longer reliant on just one person for childcare.

Also, it could be due to the credit crunch, I am paying the same in nursery fees for both dd's as I paid my CM for just dd.

Speaking to a friend, she has decided when she goes back to work, not to use her CM but both her DC's will be going to nursery for much the same reasons.

If it is unregistered care, then you would be seeing that advertised somewhere, wouldn't you? I've not seen the ads. Have you see any ads, where you suspect the provider is un-registered?

When a child leaves, do the parents say where they are going next? A family I used to nanny for, now use a combination of registered childminder and after-school club.

I know ALOT of people around my area use grand-parents, because it's free and I think some parents are worried about using a CM.

People would be mad to use someone un-reg and pay them. That makes no sense to me whats so ever.

My thoughts -

1. a phase - it goes in swings and roundabouts, one week you can be full, next week empty, fortnight later full again - hate the randomness of this job!

1. birthrate - maybe it's falling

1. other provisions - more and more schools opening their own facilities, all these new childrens centres being built taking away our business

1. unregistered care/grandparents

1. credit crunch

I have not had any real enquiry's for ages now. I have two children during the day, 1 is a friends child, and the other is a child I have had one day a week for 2 years, and he has luckily just changed to full time.

Started back on my DHC Diploma course last week, the CMs there are either full to bursting or have loads of spaces.

I suspect that unregistered care is taking off again.

I am am v cynical btw, this is just my opinion and I have no evidence to back this notion.

Children are spillin out my ears! They all belong to me though

I am at 0 a day on average

It's very quiet in our area as well. Even the schools are half empty!
Bet someone will be along soon to say children are spilling out of their ears![shock}