I need as much info and opinions about childminding as you can give me please

[MrsMorgan]

I have childminded before, but that was about 10yrs ago when it was fairly simple.

I looked into it a while ago but then got offered a job. 3 weeks into the job and I think I have made a mistake and should have gone with the childminding.

There are a few things though that concern me, and i'd be grateful for and info or opinions which would help me work out if childminding could work for me or not.

I am a single parent, and so the irregularity of the income would worry me. Do any other single parent childminders have any experience of this ??

Also, my house. I would only want the downstairs to be registered, but my hall. stairs and landing is undecorated and the stairs have no carpet. I am assuming this would have to be done prior to registration ??
And my garden is not great. It is large but the grass is horendously patchy and I'd also probably need new fencing too.

If all of this was done, then I really think it could work. I have a dining room which i'd be more than happy to turn into a playroom as it is currently more of a junk room.

Oh the business side of it scares me a bit too. I am not stupid, but the tax side of things does confuse me alot.

It can take 6-9 months to register so why not find out when the next course is available in your area. The course will be able to answer lots of your questions and tax queries.
Its not so hard once you get into a routine. I initially came into childminding so I could access lots of free training, get my nvq3 and gain experience. It has now opened lots of doors for me.
You could register while still working, and not give up your regular income until you have enough work. I supplement my income with babysitting.
While registering would give you the chance to sort your house and garden.
Good luck, loads of advice on this and other boards when you get stuck.

Well it takes a while to register as a childminder. Depending where you are you'll probably have a pre-registration visit, which is the time to address things like your stairs/garden, then do the requisite courses, then wait for the CRB to come through all of which drag out the process. Do your stairs really need carpeting? Could they not be sanded and varnished maybe?

Are there many CMs in your area? Is your local netmums childcare board full of newly registered CMs with no vacancies?!

You can register and keep working until you have a mindee signed up - nothing says you need to quit your job the minute your registration comes through.

Do some sums - most people don't end up with a lot after tax and the various expenses - and see if it's affordable for you. See what CM rates are in your area and what your critical mass of mindees would be.

Good luck!

Thank you both.

My children will all soon be over 8, so I think i'd be able to be registered for the maximum amount of children.

I know of a couple of childminders around here, one who always has children and one who rarely does, but tbh she doesn't advertise and also has turned work down.

There is currently only one minder that does a drop of and collection at our school.

I know my friend recently struggled to find a minder to take her dd in the mornings because she wanted them to have her from 7am and either no one had a place or no one wanted such an early start.

Unfortunatly my stairs are in a bit of a state so carpeting is the only option, but as you say, if I carried on working while the registering process was taking place, then I could afford to pay for these things.

Mrs Morgan - have a look on www.childmindingforum.co.uk

tons of support and advice on there.

a dear friend and colleague is a single mum childminder and she makes a very good living from childminding. she has a waiting list and is very much in demand - however that could just be the area she lives in (she is a fabulous minder though)

If you could work between school hours, you could start minding school aged children and do the drop off and pick up to begin earning money and getting the routine sorted out.

Of course you would then need to decide what to do in the school holidays: not work and have the children all day; or work and not have the children at all.

Thanks both

Have just searched several sites that childminders use to advertise, and I can't see anyone advertising places anywhere near to me.

Going to have a good read of that site now Pippin.

Right, have just spoken to a lady from my local early years team.

Apparently they don't do pre reg meetings or courses in my area, they just do a home visit, but they like you to have done the first aid course and the DHC course before they visit.

Apparently the first aid course is funded but not sure about the DHC.

She said once all of that is done, then they come and see me and look at the house to see if it is suitable.

I am wondering wether it is worth me starting all of this now then or leaving it until I have done more work in the house

She said the course is 12 hours long, so presumably over 12 weeks ?? That would take me up to xmas, and I'm not going to have done much to the house by then I don't think.

Hmm i'm a bit confused now.

You shouldn't have to do the full DHC - just the ICP part. I did mine for free so it depends on your council and it was 2 hours a week for 6 weeks.

Whereabouts in the country are you? If you're not funded and you can get to London they do weekend ICPs.

As long as you're 'in the process' of registering I wouldn't worry about the house. It takes time to book onto the courses and to get them done, to wait for a test date for the ICP, to get the CRB through etc etc so the sooner you start the better really!

The DHC is changing and that is why there may not be funding available at the moment.
Its should now be called CYPOPS and you will do a unit within this related to childminding.
CYPOPs is a level 3 qualification so the one unit will be towards the level 3

Has CYPOP 5 actually replaced the ICP yet? The info on any part of the DCYPW is speciously vague no surprsises there...

CYPoPs has now replaced the ICP - ours (aread) starts next month.

Honestly, CYPOP's - sounds very Star Trekish doesn't it!

with the tax thing just be very very diligent about keeping all receipts and you can claim most expenses back. I work 4 days a week, 8 till 6 and earn around £300 a week.. and dont pay any tax.. would be a lot more in the South I think.. am in the midlands area..

best of luck to you oh aNd make sure.. THEY PAY YOU IN ADVANCE

I live in a 3 bed semi.
All of my down stairs is registered,
but the only room upstairs which is registered is my bedroom and ensuite.

I have 2 DS aged 12 & 9 and did not want to register their rooms, simply because they need somewhere to chill out if need be.
Also when I started minding their 'toys' would not have been suitable for the little one I was minding at the time.

My garden is up hill, on 3 tiers,
I told Ofsted I didnt want the 2nd or 3rd tiers to be registered at that time as huband was in the process of building a shed & summer house, was not a child friendly garden at all!!
Due to an incident that occured a few months later, Ofsted came out to see me, the garden was 'finished' and she added the top 2 tiers to my resistration.

Hope my experience helps

I'm only registered for the ground floor of my home because my stairs open into the lounge therefore can't use upstairs. This suits me fine as ds has somewhere to escape to if he needs to!!

Also, my garden is a very complicated mess so I'm not registered to use it - my choice. We have access to a couple of parks nearby and some fab parks a short bus ride away.

I am a single parent and CMing works really well for me usually! I have had to re-register recently because I moved from England to Wales so am still looking for mindees at the moment but I'm confident that when I have a couple of children coming regularly that it'll be financially viable.

Re the tax side of things - it's very straightforward. NCMA have an accounts book that breaks everything down. As long as you keep all receipts it'll be quite simple - my sister is a business advisor and recommends keeping 12 envelopes together and marking them with each month of the year to store your receipts, making it easier to sort through the mountains of receipts at the end of the year! Also, I check through my diary to see what activities we did on a particular day and what costs were incurred that I might not have a receipt for eg, playgroup, bus fares. Expenses under £10 don't need receipts but it's handy to have them because I often forget about some of things I spend on. I do my tax return online and, so far, (apart from a mistake I made with Class4 NI - long story ) it's been fine.

Thank's for all of the advice. I have decided to leave it for now, and get on with doing things to my house anyway, and then have another think about it in the summer.