Yes Yes Yes!!!!

[kcemum]

Just contracted a fulltime mindee!!! at last the drought has broken and I'm now nearly full. Yippeeee

Congratulations (I'm still on Hol and not here honest)

Thanks katymac....Have a good one!!

Well done, it's a great feeling isn't it when you take on a new mindee
I have had someone come to see me this week about having her son, but doesn't need me for another 6 weeks when her husband should be starting a new job, but she wouldn't commit until her husband gets confirmation in writing, and if they sign up with me I am full too. I have been registered for a year and only had 2 part-time mindees for ages but all of a sudden I am full.

Well done! Have you got your new mindee through your own contacts or CIS?

Well done kcemum and feelingold!

Thankyou ladies. I got this one through cis, all my other mindees are through my own contacts

So there's hope for getting them through the CIS yet then!!

I have only ever had 1 enquiry via cis and in the end she decided to take her little one to nursery cos she passed it on her way to work but would have to go out of her way slightly to come to me
I have 6 children on my books and got them all by my own advertising too like Hellybelly.

Shame isn't it - good database but lots of parents don't know they can get this information

Advertising yourself defo gets the enquiries!

Just counted back, have had 7 enquiries through CIS in 16 months, not bad eh

I'm really surprised as I was given extra grant money due to shortage in our area so why no calls??? Suppose it's early days but must admit I'm surprised!

I'm a local vacancy co-ordinator so often get the calls for minders in this area.

So far, this year - and we are now nearing the end of the 8th month - I have had three calls via the CIS and one call I forgot to ask the source. I know all the other co-ordinators, and they are all in a similar boat (and some of my calls were duplicated to other co-ordinators). Our CIS tell us they get lots of calls, so not sure what happens to them!

Childminders have to do a really hard sell to get the work, and I feel for newly registering minders who sometimes expect the calls to come flooding in. Nearly all my work in recent years has been through me "putting it about" as it were - ensuring that just about everyone I ever meet knows my job, whilst ensuring that you don't sound desperate! I'm "lucky" as I am just about full to capacity, but I have had to work for it.

So, another well done for you two getting the work!

My CIS also tells me that they get plenty of calls from parents but in this area we are unindated with minders,summer play schemes, after school clubs, school breakfast clubs (60p including breakfst and childcare! how do you compete with that?) and nurseries etc. but still they keep telling us that there is plenty of work for us. It is really hard for newly registered mindrs to get off the ground around here.

I was told lots of calls and only 7 online in my village???!!

Our CIS have said that all these calls have been specifically for childminders, not nurseries etc. As I know all the other co-ordinators, we regularly (verbally) compare notes, and don't appear to get these phone calls.

It is extremely unusual to ever get a call for a full-time place, or even for a set number of full days per week. We seem to get the shift work, out-of-nursery hours, nursery/school runs, etc.

I know it must be hard for parents to opt for a childminder sometimes, because we've all heard the scare stories, but I so want to tell them about how lovely we are (home-based care, mixing with different aged children, lots of outings)