To find it worrying that so many people suggest fostering and childminding to those who are desperate to earn money?

[AlternativePerspective]

Obviously there are often people on here who are desperate for work and whose lives don’t fit in with having a full-time job e.g. they have school-aged children etc.

The standard jobs being advised tend to be along the lines of “take in ironing/get an evening job/get a part time supermarket job.” All of which are valid although taking in ironing has become somewhat of a cliche over the years but more increasingly I have seen posters suggest to OP’s that they should become a childminder, or “have you considered fostering?

While I think it’s fair to say that most childminders do become childminders in order to fit earning a living around their own childcare needs, it definitely takes a certain kind of person to be a childminder,and a decent childminder goes through a lot of training etc to ensure they do the best job. It certainly isn’t an occupation anyone should take up on a whim or out of desperation.

Ad fostering should be seen as a vocation not an occupation. Ad while foster carers do get paid, the idea that people who are desperate for work, and money should take on fostering the most vulnerable members of society as a way o make money is awful.

It's a very idealistic view you hold OP, and I agree in an ideal world people would only work jobs that they were suited to and that their hearts were set on. Meanwhile in the real world.....there's lots of foster carers, doctors, childminders, nurses, teachers etc etc who are doing it just for the money. It does not necessarily mean they do a lesser job.

Oh I would add that I personally know someone whose motivation behind fostering appears to be financial. I think it's very wrong.

I’ve seen people suggesting childminding as well and it’s been suggested to me (never heard the fostering one) I’m really not cut out to be a child minder so it does make me eye roll when people suggest it

Sadly, I don't think she is making it up. I used to work with a woman who fostered 2 kids and who was very vocal about how much of an inconvenience they were. She loved the money though and wouldn't give it up for that reason. It really used to sicken and anger me.

I've never heard it suggested as a way to make money. TBH I think most people believe it's something that should be done for the love of it and don't think about then money side unless they've got direct involvement.

It's a difficult job and it should be properly paid, but I'll admit I was shocked at what I found in an air bnb once. It was a beautiful family home and on the bookshelf there was an exercise book with a handwritten plan "how to make a million before we're 40" .

The plan revolved very heavily around taking as many foster children with as many additional needs as possible. Obviously I've no idea if it was a complete work of fiction or a serious plan.

Fostering is well paid though - around £425 a week from an agency. Hopefully the social workers and trainers can easily tell who is just there for the money.

Fostering is well paid though - around £425 a week from an agency. Hopefully the social workers and trainers can easily tell who is just there for the money.

Not that well paid for a job that rules your life 24/7/virtually 365 and also presumably is intended to pay for the actual expenses of the child and any wear and tear or damage to your home? Not exactly a salary?

I saw a thread recently by a poster asking for advice on behalf of a woman who was virtually non functional as an adult including lacking literacy skills, budgeting skills and seemingly unable to organise herself at all. Several people helpfully suggested childminding as a career for her. I did wonder if they’d be happy to leave their own DC in her care.

"Not exactly a salary" would depend how many children you have. 2/3 and it's a pretty decent income.

I saw that thread. To be fair, only the lack of available childcare, transport and an unexplained inability to undertake a 20 minute walk were initially given as reasons why that woman was unable to work.

Her illiteracy and chaotic lifestyle wasn't revealed until after it had been suggested that she could be a childminder, which would allow her to earn money, and look after her own DC and do the school run at the same time.

I have never heard anybody suggest fostering to earn money on here or in real life in all my years.
Childminding is a good way for someone who wants to stay at home to look after their own DC to make money. If they enjoy and are good at looking after their own children there is a good chance they could be a good childminder. They are looking after children anyway. It may involve a little bit of training but not a doctorate so is an accessible job for a lot of people. There will always be work, can be done from home, fits around life and is achievable.

Um.... no.

From experience, I can comfortably say that looking after other people's children is nothing at all like looking after your own and "they're looking after children anyway" massively oversimplifies the role. For a start, childminders need to follow and deliver the EYFS portion of the National Curriculum and they need to demonstrate that this being doing via observations, record keeping, inspections, etc. You need to think of the dynamic in your group too. Have you ever heard people say that their own DC are great but there is nothing more irritating than other people's DC? Well that. In spades. If you get a mindee who doesn't fit in well with the rest of the mindees and/or your own DC (something which isn't always apparent at settling in sessions) then it's a frigging nightmare as it upsets the whole apple cart and there's only so much you can do to try and restore the balance before it becomes necessary to think about giving notice. Then there are the financials, the paperwork, and dealing with the pisstakers which is also a fine balancing act. Most childminders get work based on reputation and one loudmouth with a grudge can wreck it, so while you've given notice for a perfectly valid reason (e.g., repeated late payment despite multiple reminders) if they decide to tell everyone you're a bad childminder then it's galling. It can take over your house which can be hard on your own DC, it can take your attention away from your own DC particularly if you have a mindee who needs extra work such as a baby or one who is having trouble settling, and it can be difficult to drawn a line between work and home (my DC getting increasingly unhappy about it as they got older is the main reason I don't childmind any more). The money isn't great especially once you deduct non-paying spaces taken up by your own DC, expenses, ongoing registration costs, insurance, fees, etc - £3.50-£4 per child is the going rate here.

While it might work for some people and can be a way of getting back into work, it's really not for everyone and there are very clear reasons why more people don't just become childminders. Out of my training cohort of 18, only two are still working as childminders.

I know of one person who wanted to foster for the right reasons but then it became a money chase. She spoke so badly of the children.

I think childminding is seen as easy. Because you have a child of your own you can easily provide care for more. It devalues an important job.

My foster mum, had to physically take me to school and into the classroom for 6 months, on top of taking me to therapists, to court, to AA and NA meetings. They had to be available to go find me and take me back to school whenever I'd decided to leave half way through the day... not sure 425 quid is enough for that.
They were lovely though, but I bet she was happy when she was told that 16 year old me could walk to school alone.

Childminding requires specific qualifications/courses completed as well as upfront costs to register. You need risk assessments, contracts, to be able to demonstrate childrens learn and development, show next steps and link to eyfs. The level of recording is above what is required in a nursery or pre schools.

Totally agree with you. REcent thread on here about a very vulnerable woman being hounded by the benefits agency about not having a job and the amount of people suggesting child minding. The womans house was a shithole by the sound of it and she clearly struggled to manage basic routines and her own childs needs. But people kept persisting

Not seen it quite suggested as fostering but child minding definitely.

I've never seen it suggested but I do know if some foster carers and I'm surprised how little they' do for their foster child.
They seem to do the bare minimum and don't really take them out anywhere?

425 is very good Money!
I've supported student's on far less! ( Foreign students)

And there's fucking Bungle Johnson, our shitshow PM, saying I the MN interview that they're going to make it easier for people to become childminders by looking at removing some of the registration requirements. Because slackening the standards is exactly what we need when trusting someone to care for our children and keep them safe.

I know someone who's quite open about doing fostering solely for the money. She has two kids - so a good £800 a week income. Plus she has the bloody audacity to ask for free donations/clothes etc every time she has a new one - didn't take too kindly to me pointing out she already gets PAID for providing clothes for them.

I feel really really sorry for kids who need foster parents. I would argue the vast majority aren't in it for the love of the children.

Coastal that's awful.

Can't , shouldn't they be held to some minimum account of the basics?
Taking the child out?

Its horrid!

400 a week is a lot of money.

I went through the fostering process on my way to an SGO. There’s nothing simple about it!

however it is touted all over the web as a career opportunity. I think it’s the wrong way to look at it.

I have seen fostering suggested as a 'job' once or twice over the years. It really shouldn't be something you do for the money though. Surely the only correct reason would be to make a difference to other people's lives.

So if someone is desperate for work what’s your solution then OP? Or should we all be able to choose to stay at home on benefits? Looking after other peoples’ kids wouldn’t be my first choice of career but I still think I could do it to a good standard if that was my best option to earn money, which is the whole point of work.

I thought people were suggesting childminding on that thread because there were no childcare options on the estate. Seemed reasonable until the op posted more info.

Fostering allowance is disregarded too so you get to claim benefits (prior to UC also working tax credit). Having a looked after child social services will support you in getting priority council housing. The fostering agencies push the income and benefits pretty heavily over you know wanting to help kids.