Is my Childminder allowed to do this ?

[scatterbrain]

Hi there everyone, Would really appreciate your knowledgebleness here !! Am new to having a CM - and only use one after school a few days a week !

Problem is - CM also minds her daughter's children and has a new routine of taking her gks to their home straight after picking my dd up. I thought they were just dropping off - but now they seem to be going in and staying maybe an hour - dd seems to regularly eat her packed tea there.

I wasn't too bothered at first - but dd has started saying she doesn't want to go to CM anymore as there are no good toys at her daughter's house (her kids are younger). Then my friend mentioned that actualy CM shouldn't be doing that as it is only her own house that she is allowed to mind in !

What do you all think ?

she's allowed to go out and about though

think the problem is your daughter is bored so I'd address that with the cm

We are allowed to go out & about - but I think as Twiglett says - the boredom is the issue - not necessarily the venue

Why not have a word

I know - I will, but I just wanted to be sure first !

My friend, who has done the CM training course was sure that she had to be looked after in the CM's home - not someone elses' - I am slightly concerened as I don't know these people and they are off the ofsted radar - they could be anyone - paedophiles whatever - am prob worrying over nothing - but I thought I was paying for a pck up and 2 hours play at CM's house !

i would have thought out and about is a local park or playgroup not someone elses house everyday. if she is using another house then everyone should be checked crb etc at that house if over 16. it sounds to me like the cm doesnt want wear and tear on her own home or is needing company herself. the standards state that ofsted need to know of any adults in regular contact with the children.

if you or your child aren't happy with the situation then the legality isn't even an issue, you're paying this woman good money to look after your child and she obviously sees it as easy money for nothing, not the responsibility of looking after a child. personally i'd fire her on the spot and make other arrangments

Hi scatterbrain, as said by all the others we are allowed to go out and about and she should have said about what she does in the 2 hours - did you not ask? or did she not say what she does? Did she mislead you or is this a temporary argeement with the grand kids?.

We have to be a suitable candidates to be a childminder and i do not think any childminder would out your child at risk of being near unsuitable people. I wouldnt worry about that.

You said ' My friend, who has done the CM training course was sure that she had to be looked after in the CM's home - not someone elses' - if this was the case we wouldnt be able to go out anywhere if we could only do it at home. We do go out to others people houses (other minders and if i did have any unsuitable firends, which i dont, i wouldnt take my ds there let alone anyone elses)for playdates and we look after then.

I would address the issue of your dd being bored and if you are not satisfied with the answer, you can always give notice and if you find another minder ask what your dd will do in that time.

I think 'out and about' is being streteched a bit if she is to all intenst and purposes minding your child in someone else's house for significant amounts of time each week. Whether the boiler has been serviced a=nd she has flame-proof furniture is probably more of a likely breach than rampant peadophilia, sonce she is your CM's daughter, but i agree that the real issue is that your dd is bored and not being sufficiently well provided for there.

Talk to her about it.

yes cm are allowed to go out and about, but i'm sure that this is not meant to be the same venue on a very regualr occassion. e.g everyday.

no one denies that cm can go out and visit with their mindees, but i too like sb would be concerned if the cm was going to her daughters house everyday when she had my child. a. i do not know the daughter b. i have not seen and been happy witht the surroundings at teh daughters house c. the daughter and her family have not been checked d. not adequate provision made for a child of the mindees age.

i would ask the cm in a non-confrontational way waht is happening each day, why are they going to the daughters house everyday, how long she intends to keep going there everyday, what provisions are made for the mindee, and explain that you are unhappy witht the situation because you weren't informed and your dd is not happy.

Thanks - I agree that it's not a huge risk - and that dd's boredom is the main issue ! I will try and speak to CM next week - not sure how to phrase it at the moment - any tips ?

Sorry - jellyjelly I didn't answer you. When dd started going to her she wasn't minding the gks - so the routine was that she collected dd and went straight home where dd then played until I collected her. DD loved this as she has fab collection of toys, dressing up stuff etc.

The first I knew of CM taking her gks home was that I arrived to collect early one day and they were not there - they came along about 5 mins later and CM just said she had been at daughters'. I thought this was a one-off as CM had not specifically told me about a new routine - but now it is happening every day.

Apologies if it sounds like I am moaning - I am a bit cross about it tbh - as I feel misled and let down.

Scatterbrain - You are entitled to moan -I am sure most of us do it whether we are parents or childminders ! - I speak as a parent and a childminder - I agree with others that the main issue is your dd's boredom.

I take my baby mindee to a friends house (if she is off work & she not childminder either - they are not unsavoury characters either!) or coffee shop once per week but I always tell the parent and ask if this is ok with her. When I have several mindees on one day, at the end of the day, I always relay to parents what we have done during that day - hopefully then they will feel at ease if there is anything that I am doing that they would prefer me not to do, then we can discuss with ease and the reasons why .

Looking at it factually, I think that if she was spending the whole two hours at gks house then I would agree that you could bring into play the 'her registration is at her house' but as she is spending one hour there, I am not sure that she is in 'breach' iyswim.

However, when a child is clearly unhappy or bored, that is certainly the time to have a chat with your childminder about the reasons why [smile)

Good luck

Maybe you could start by asking your childminder when it would be convenient to have a chat about your dd's progress? Especially if this is a new arrangement your cm should also be wanting to check you are happy with how things are going.

I have had parents arrive about 20 mins earlier than usual (having arranged it with me first) to have a "progress chat" or if thats not convenient (may be too many kids present) then an appointment or phone call outside of childminding hours should be possible.

Just be frank with her - you've discovered dd's routine at the cm's has changed since you started. You had expected dd to spend her time in the cm's property and while its not unreasonable for your cm to take her out & about it is unusual for every day to be spent in a relative's home and clearly not what you expected when you decided to use this cm.

Is this new routine a temporary arrangement? If not, perhaps she could shorten the visits on the days your child attends or maybe take the children home after you have collected your child?

Good luck

I think as a parent Id want to know where my child was going to be taken on a daily basis. Not just to find out over time that thats what is happening. Its not just about boredom its about going to work and feeling your child is safe and I know cm's will say its ok we are professionals but they are still your children and you still want to picture in your head what they are doing at that moment. I sometimes experience it when my sister in law takes my six year old for the night but if she tells me they are going to do something and then I find out theyve done something very different I feel worried.

i wouldnt be to impressed if my child was being taken to cms daughters house every evening. yes we do go out and about, but the child should be considered here, and you.....you are paying her to give attention to your child and not sit drinking coffee, chatting, which it sounds like she is probably doing. am i being to harsh? if i were you, i would look elsewhere.