Childminder

[KJE2017]

AIBU to choose a different childminder - I have not handed over the contract that she gave me to sign.

About a month ago me and my DH went to visit a childminder at her home to see if she would be suitable for our DD. First of all DD took to her straight away (she was 5 month at the time). The childminder seemed really nice, down to earth and does anything to help parents out.

Here's my reasons for making me want to reconsider; her back garden has been ruined by her dog, she has a driveway which she says she lets the children play on and she supervises them - she's lives on a housing estate. However she said that she takes the children to the park often so they can play. I asked her where my child could nap, she said she lets them nap on the couch with cushions on the floor; she said she's never had any child fall from the couch. She is a smoker but said she does not smoke around the children, she said she just wouldn't do it and it is also illegal. (When she came round my house to bring me the contract the paper, in my opinion smelt like smoke) her house didn't smell of smoke, so maybe she had a cigarette after she finished childminding but before she came to my house?? She was honest about her OFSTED report, she said she got a 'needs improvement' as she could not find some paperwork but she is adamant she has that paperwork somewhere in the house. There was one child (13 yo I think)who she childminds at the house waiting to get picked up when we were there discussing things with the childminder. When the child's parents arrived (waited in the car) the child ran straight out of the house without saying bye to the childminder. Was this because she was shy around me and DH or does she dislike the childminder?? The childminders daughter was there, she seemed very nice also.

Good points are the childminder offered to bring our DD back home at 6pm each time she childminds as DH drives a van for work and can not have a car seat in the van. She said she would provide nappies, wipes etc - we would not expect her to do so, we would take our own. She would charge us £60pw this includes meals and snacks - that's the cheapest by far, however money is not a issue when it comes to my DD's well-being. She was the only childminder we found who started early enough for us, I start work at 7ma so need childcare from 6:30am, not many childminders work that early. The childminder does seem like a nice person and easy to get along with. She said she would send me photos of my DD on WhatsApp. The 13yo who she childminds has apparently been childminded since she was 6 months old by this childminder. She gave me reviews to read I read through them, they were good - I'm being paranoid about them thinking that she got somebody to write them for her. I don't know why

AIBU to be abit weary or am I just looking into little things too much? She is kind of our only option for childcare as there are no nursery's that are open at 6:30am & family can not help with childcare. I am feeling nervous and uneasy and need your honest opinions. I will not put my DD in danger I'm just not sure if I'm being too paranoid. I've never had to deal with childminders before as DD is our first child.

Op why not look into a part time nanny or mother's help? Lots of mature nannies only want a few hours and may be happy to start at those hours, I did! Use a reliable website such as childcare.co.uk and like others have said trust your instinct, you really do get what you pay for. Good luck.

Bloody hell

Wouldn't let them cat sit

Some childminders aren't searchable on ofsted by their name because they have to give ofsted permission to publish their personal details. You can search by postcode but it will provide a number rather than a name. You may be able to work out which report belongs to this childminder. If you call ofsted and provide her name and address, I think they will confirm her registration but not any other details.

To be honest, I wouldn't touch her with a barge pole. Even if she doesn't smoke around the children, I doubt she's going without a cigarette all day, so will potentially be leaving them unattended for a short while. There's also the risk of second hand smoke.
If the dog has wrecked the yard, it sounds like it's not under control. Avoid avoid avoid.

I would keep looking for other childcare options OP...and run a mile from this woman!

Too many red flags- £60/day would be more normal IME (live in London tho so that's par for the course).

I've no experience of a CM as we've always used a nursery but what you've described makes me uneasy.

Please don't send your precious baby here! If she was genuine she would have offered you the Ofsted report. No mobile baby should be sleeping on the sofa!!! She should at least be providing a small travel cot for naps, or even simply the roll up mats...I've seen these in nursery settings.

It's very telling though that her price is so ludicrously cheap! You really do get what you pay for 😮

I hope you find a lovely place for your baby 💐

I would be running away fast!!!

I use a childminder, they have a cat but she is all risk assessed. They have a seperate room for naps which has about 6 cots/cot beds in and has a camera in there. When I went to look around she had all the paperwork and insurance documents ready for us to look at. She charges £5 an hour but we have to provide all food, nappies and wipes.

After seeing nurseries and childminders before I saw her I just wasn't comfortable. As soon as I walked into where we are now I just knew it was the right setting for my daughter. I am so happy she goes there as she is so happy and relaxed and has come in leaps and bounds.

Your gut instinct is there for a reason op. Listen to what it is telling you. I think you came here for a bit of reassurance and have quite rightly had the opposite. I know you are in a bit of difficulty with the early starts but you wont settle at work with this level of doubt.

Your valid reasons are that she has what was formerly a failing ofsted report - needs improvement is as low as it goes now. Why does it need improvement and where is the report? She has a dog that clearly roams free and has destroyed a garden the children could and should have access to. Is it being tied up outside and is destroying the garden out of boredom or stress? Young children sleep on a sofa with cushions beneath, she is a smoker who will go out for periods during the day to smoke. You are a little concerned about the teenager she is minding. She is overly keen to get the job and her offers of extra assistance support this.

Do not panic and do not sign any contract. This will get sorted out but not with this minder.

I wouldn’t be happy about that.

She should be on your council website under 'childcare' search. It should also give her URN number and enable you to look her up on the Ofsted website.

I am a childminder and I know other childminders who let children sleep on sofas for their nap. It's not something I would do and it doesn't seem very professional either although they might argue that childminders are not nurseries and offer home from home care.

Even at 4 hours per day, charging £60 (including nappies) is way too cheap imho. As a parent myself I would be put off by the smoking - even if she isn't smoking in the house it will be on her clothes and in her hair. Yuck. As for the back garden not being usable to the children, ask yourself why? Is it covered in dog poo?

Ofsted grading aren't the be all and end all. I know some great childminders who are graded 'good' and I'd certainly leave my children with them. However, I also know 'oustanding' ones and wouldn't leave my dog with them!

Trust your gut feeling, ask around, get recommendations.

I wouldn't be happy about the smoking or the dog.

Naps on a sofa are fine for a toddler but not for a baby.

I think you will struggle with a 6am start though. Do both you and your DH leave that early?

Elsie - Requires Improvement isn't a fail, it used to be 'Satisfactory'. Inadequate is the lowest score.

I’m an ofsted registered nanny and an ex childminder’s assistant in a setting rated very highly (not sure of exact rating but was v organised as run by an ex teacher). This place sounds like a nightmare. The dog is worrying, the letting them play on a driveway is worrying, it sounds like she can’t keep track of her paperwork - does she do learning journals? Everything you’ve said to me implies an unprofessional childcare worker and I wouldn’t go near the place. Please consider finding a better option.

Humm, lots of little things not quite adding up, point to a few socking big lies/ cover ups.

The dog
Smoking
Sleeping

And one of the main clues all is not as it seems, the bargain basement prices. Childcare is normally extremely competitive and pricing is very similar throughout one area... it’s not an industry with BOGOFs and undercutting etc. If someone is behaving like that, it’s for a reason. I’d be asking why.

I wouldn't send my child here if you paid me, sounds horrendous and DD is too young to tell you if anything is amiss!

The dog would put me off! Smoking doesn’t bother me too much if the house didn’t smell of smoke. How hard would it be to get a travel cot and baby monitor? I would definitely want to see that report and make my decision based on that. If you go with her then I would at least purchase a travel cot to leave there, no way would I have a baby napping on the sofa.

The smoking thing would be a massive no to start with, before I even worried about anything else

I wouldn't send my child there! On the couch? She needs to provide adequate napping mats or cots for the toddlers to sleep in, not a poxy sofa! Also, she has a dog and smokes.. no thanks!

My child minder gave me a copy of her report with the contract to read and her URN to look it up online too. Can you look on your local council website? Some have early years info and you can look up childminders? I found it useful to cross reference childcare.co.uk with the council website and Ofsted too. Requires improvement is pretty bad!

I'm ofsted registered, it would be a no from me.

When she was ofsted registered she would have had to specify where children play and sleep and these areas are inspected. I highly doubt it would have been the couch and front path.

£60 per week is so cheap it's laughable she sounds desperate to earn some money. Especially when she's providing nappies!

The dog is a risk

Smoking is a risk

Read her ofsted report.

Your child is your most precious possession, if in doubt, don't!

Look up family services on your council website. She will be on there if registered. Also try the childinding association website.
You can see her inspection on Ofsted or scottish care commission websites.

Mind you i am laughing at pp who said she must be dodgy charging less than mnw!! I dont know a single cm who could charge mnw. Round here its £3.50 per hour. (By the time you have done paperwork in your own time its much less) We dont all live in a big city. £20 for 4 hours is £5 an hour so not any different to many other cm.

If you cant find her registered then obviously thats a no no.

Could you ask around at work to see who other parents use for those early starts? Would it be possible for your work to change your shifts so you start and finish a bit later, you have the right to request flexible working.
From what you’ve described I wouldn’t send my baby there, it doesn’t sound suitable for small children at all, it sounds like she didn’t really want to be a childminder and has just fallen into it.

All the no's for me:
Too cheap
Sleeping on sofa
Dog
Dog ruined garden
Smoker
Plays outside near road
Not good ofsted

I don't like child minders anyway as there's nobody there to support them

You’re doing the right thing. Having excellent childminders is the thing by far that had helped me in going back to work. They are truly excellent (they have a room upstairs with travel cost for napping, it’s incredibly unsafe for a baby to sleep on a sofa)

Mine are pretty expensive, they include meals etc- but my little boy (now 2) runs up the door to them, so it’s worth every penny

She would go against all safe infant sleep advice and let your tiny new baby sleep on her smoky couch? Erm
Ofsted wouldn't allow that. And if you do, then more fool you.

We used a CM for eldest and was £3.75 an hr and then moved to another when she was on mat leave and that was £35 for 8-6 but we needed 7.30-4.30/5 so we agreed same rate for those hrs as earlier start. For ds2 we couldn't find a CM we liked (prev 2 full) and I looked at many one was ok but more expensive than nursery and wasn't good enough for me to warrant the added inconviemce of covering holidays and sickness.

There are many many great CM out there they just charge normal rates for their area and if someone is offering so much in that they reduced rate, offer drops off, nappies eta they are sounding desperate.

Most will charge a full days fees especially as sometimes you need 48hrs and sometimes more they cannot fill the space with someone else.

Smoking is a no for me and equally letting anyone smoke in their house at anytime children present or not was a no for me.

I am not bothered about a dog but would want to see risk assessment

Go back to council site and visit every CM and nursery with space ring them all first ask about early start be honest a bout how often this will be but be prepared to pay a higher help rate before 7.30am.

Our nursery that ds2 is opens 7am-7pm if needed and has 7,8,9,10,11,12hr rates and is £55 for a 10hr day. Ds1 after school CM (sadly only does wrap around care) is £13.50 for 3-5.30 and includes eve meal.

Childcare isn't cheap but that isn't the providers fault that's the government and a whole another debate.

Don't be blinded by cheap costs I had a rule that childcare costs will be what they will be and I would choose based on best for my child/family