Am getting desperate...

[minko]

I need a childminder for 2 afternoons a week from September. They need to pick DS (4) up from nursery at 11.30 and keep him till 3.30 when I get home from work. I am flexible about which days but can't find a childminder for love nor money...

What am I doing wrong? Is it too few hours? I'm willing to pay a bit more to make up for it... (£6-7pph) Is it the picking up putting them off? I don't really have any options as we've just moved to a new area and I don't know anyone around here. All suggestions welcome...

Have you called local childminders? Can't they tell you what the problem is - is it that they don't have spaces or that the hours are too short?

How many have you contacted? Try childcarefinder.direct.gov.uk/childcarefinder/ maybe you missed someone. Anywhere near me I'd be happy to help out.
Btw ... maybe the collection time clashes with their school run ....

Try an advert on childcare .co.uk saying how much you will pay per hour. The problem is it takes up a full day place and cuts into the day. You may find someone willing to do it but september is a nightmare for numbers as the children starting school are still counted in our numbers until they are fulltime and many childminders are doing early pick ups from schools.

Minko, where are you?

We're in Farnham. I've tried the local board, and netmums and childcare.co.uk. Am going to ring round now. I did get one offer but she lived miles away and wanted to charge £30 a day as that was her minimum charge... quite a lot for 4 hours...

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I think your problem is that your ds is in the under 5 category of which most childminders are only allowed to have 3. Looking after your ds across the middle of the day means that the cm will be unable to realistically slot anyone else in either before or after therefore, in effect, only using 4 hours of what could essentially be a full day place. I have to say that I also have a minimum fee equivalent to 7 hours per day for any under 5 space as otherwise it does not make the place financailly viable.

Minko

I just wanted to say I sympathise. I have today signed contracts with a childminder to pick DS up from school from Sept at 11.50am. I found it so hard to find anyone to do this for the reasons Coral has said.

I recommend the Surrey CC website. I searched my postcode and got a long list of childminders in the area. I emailed them all and got quite a few replies. I had to be a bit flexible with exact days and hours but have found someone who could help.

Can you be flexible - for example could you work one longer day instead of 2 short ones? You may find a childminder who is more willing to do 11.30 - 6.00 for example.

The other thing I can suggest is a private nursery. The one my DS is about to leave does "school days" 8.30am to 3.30pm which may suit you better.

Good luck!

I don't have any experience of this, but £7.50 per hour for looking after a child seems very low-paid to me.

Sorry - this isn't much help to you!

Maybe consider a nanny, the hours would be something a nanny with own child would consider and you would get someone with some experience for around £6-£7 an hr gross.

If you was willing to pay 7 pounds an hour why not pay the lady who was willing to do it for 30 it is only 2 pound more and problem would be solved