Is there a market for term time only childminding?

[Runoutofideas]

Hi,
My youngest dd has just started school and I've been a SAHM for 6 years. I'm now trying to work out what to do with myself! I was thinking of childminding as I love looking after children and have an Early Years qualification but I wouldn't want mindees in the holidays when my own children are off school. Is it worth going through the hassle of registering etc only to find that no-one wants a term time only childminder - I guess ideally I'd be looking for children of teachers or students - Is this too limiting?

Teachers would want it. But is that too limiting? Suppose that depends on how many teachers live in your area and what their childcare needs are.

I'd like one! As would lots of teachers I know, and only a few have managed to find one. I guess it depends on where you live - we are in london and I bet you'd have no bother finding people here. Good luck!

I live in a suburb of a fairly large city with two universities and plenty of schools - so not in the middle of nowhere. How would you find out if there is demand in a certain area?

Thanks - you are all sounding more positive than I was expecting.... Is registering a nightmare?

I do TTO - I much prefer it. I do have a PT lo in the school hols too but my DD & DS quite like it when there are mindies here - especially if younger than them (I also have vacancies if any Teachers in Worthing West sussex are looking for childcare lol)

ChildrenatHeart - have you found it fairly easy to find customers and where have they come from? How many children do you look after? Thanks

I've just started using a childminder for term-time only after school care.

We've got to figure out holiday cover anyway so obviously didn't want to be paying for 3.15pm - 6pm care when we didn't need it.

I realise that's not exactly what you might have been considering but if you registered anyway then doing an after school pick-up for a few school age children might boost your income?

My childminder mostly does tbh, there are 2 of us teachers, one school nurse & the other parents make other arrangements (eg. grandparents) during the holidays so they don't have to payout

Tbh most of my TTO customers have been siblings of children in my DS/DD class or staff at their school though some have also come from FiS & Childcare.co.uk
I am very low on numbers at the moment though - never struggled before but lost 2 to start school in July that I haven't replaced & 2 more left this week cos the hospital creche is cheaper :o( I'm not getting many enquiries personally & I am vacancy coordinator for our local CM group & there are few enquiries there either - and those that are coming through are jobs no-one wants really, where parents are looking for negligible amounts of wraparound care eg 7am-8am then take to day nursery then do 6pm-6.30pm was a recent one
I think many parents are reassessing their childcare arrangements with the reduction in Govt support such as Tax Credits, Child Benefit & loss of Tax benefits on Childcare vouchers. Even for apparantly 'well off' parents it can be a struggle. They may be higher earners but their committments such as mortgage are often proportionate. I think many are not returning to work, reducing hours or finding family members or friends to childcare or working evenings/weekends in order to reduce their costs.

I?m a childminder and I prefer term-time only, I have two tto children on my books at the moment- not related. Sometimes in the past I?ve not found anyone want tto and so have taken on all year round children and just got used to it. There isn?t always the preferred work available, and times are tough for childminders, so it depends on whether you would be willing to accept a bit of a wait for the ?right? work or not. I do not charge for the school holidays but my tto rate is slightly higher to compensate (20p). I?m close to Arundel btw (just in case )
Registering isn?t a nightmare- but can take a little while thankfully i registered 20 years ago when things were more straightforward

i have just registered.. it took 3 months in total and i did alot of chasing.

i have just started a thread as i've kinda messed up my system abit!

didnt finish there! i have only had interest in term time only, desperate for full time as a 6 week holiday with no money scares me!

Hi their if u need school pike ups from Oaklands primary in hanwell or from hanwell junkie pre school please give me a call or Ted me on 07882103722 thanks hanan.

Hi their if u need school pik ups from Oaklands primary in hanwell or from hanwell bunnies pre school please give me a call or Ted me on 07882103722 thanks hanan.

Thanks - Do you have to look after children within a certain time after your registration is complete? I'd be happy to wait for the right child/ren as I haven't earned any money at all for the past 6 years, so there's no desperate rush! How can Ofsted inspect you if you have no mindees though?

Mary Poppins - What sort of location are you in? I'm wondering why you are only getting term time interest - is that usual?

There is a nursery near me that only does term-time only. They have 12 places and a very long waiting list.

ofsted do a pre reg visit where they come check your setting and answer any questions, then when registered about 6 months later you get inspected properly

im in cambridgeshire, i am hoping it isnt the norm and just been unlucky