Will I find a CM who would do a 1 hour slot?

[1catherine1]

I'm a little stuck atm. OH and I work opposite shifts with me finishing work at 3pm and him starting work at 3pm. We have a 5mo DD who needs looking after in the 30 minute to an hour slot where our travel time overlaps. This has left me looking for someone to look after her for a maximum of 1 hour 3 days a week.

What makes it slightly worse is that the time is right before end of school so I believe it is when the CMs are busiest. I had arranged for a friend to look after her for these 3 hours but she let me down at the last minute :(

probably not - but you might get one to take her for a whole afternoon

I am sorry your friend has let you down

no family to step in? another friend?

Unfortunately not. My OH is from overseas and I moved away from my family for work. We're pretty much on our own.

That is what I thought... unfortunately I'm not sure what I can afford but I guess needs must...

you might get lucky phone around i once had 2 children leave at 3pm (both postworkers children) so at that moment in time i could have done this hour for you

You may be lucky to get someone ... but be prepared to pay for more than one hour. My minimum charge for a child of this age is 4 hours. It's just not worthwhile to do it for any less taking in to consideration that I would provide some sort of snack, possibly change a nappy in the mean time and still have to do EYFS paperwork in my own time.

You will get someone, provided you aer prepared to pay a premium, what about a neighbour or a friend with similar age child? DD is still v young tho' so will want good quality, can't you change hours so you need a block of time, e.g a day or a half day? rather than 1 hour

Is there no way of you missing your lunch / break so you could both start / finish 15 / 30 min later/ earlier ?
I think you will find it hard for a childminder , more likely to be an informal arrangement with a neighbour or friend

I do a single hour three times a week for a mum who wants to go out for a run, so it is possible you will find someone.

Thank you all... I will do some phoning around and hopefully get lucky. Unfortunately my time is fixed as I'm a teacher and my OH has his break when it is quite rather than at a set time.