Need some advice on SS ex-mindee

[Tanith]

I could really do with some suggestions on how to deal with this - I'll try and keep it brief.

DH and I are network childminders and sometimes take on children referred by social services. A few years ago, we looked after 2 primary aged brothers for a week's emergency placing. I was surprised they lived so close - usually they're out of area - but the placing went well (although I did have to remove a martial arts knuckleduster and hand it to SS!) and we have kept it friendly and waved and said hello since.

Over the Summer, the younger boy and his friend have been pestering us to let them do odd jobs, saying they were bored. Finally, DH let them help wash his car for a small fee and another time, I let them play in the garden while I packed up.
Now they are calling at least once a day and becoming very persistent, and they want more money for jobs. They're also getting aggressive. We told them this morning we were going out and returned to find rubbish tipped over the front lawn. We have no proof it was them, but it seems likely.

Anyone got any thoughts on what we can do? I really don't want to upset the families as I think it will cause a lot of trouble and we have to live here, but this has got to stop. The ex-mindee must be 9 or 10 by now: no idea about the other one.

Do you think things have worsened again at home and that's why they are coming to you, kind of a cry for help? What do you think they want the money for? Do you suspect it is something basic like food, or something trivial like sweets/cigs?

I would call the contact you had for them at SS and ask for their advice if the social worker was sensitive and on the ball.

If the rubbish was from your own bins maybe find a way to secure them while you are out.

I don't think things have worsened: without going into detail, it wasn't that kind of placement and both ex-mindee and his brother are very overweight.

The other boy has asked several times if I'd take his younger brother and sister for half price if he washes our car. Not sure if this is his idea or his mum's.

I got the impression they were just plain bored and any money they were earning was going on sweets. They got so bored, they were even offering to wash the car for free at one point in the holidays!

Rubbish was not from our bins, by the way. It was sweet and crisp wrappers - lots of them!

Just to update and say thanks

The social worker has almost certainly changed several times, if they still have one, so I didn't try that, although I would have done if the care had been recent.

It appears the reason for this was boredom in the holidays to start with then, when the parents found out, they were indeed putting the kids up to it for cheap childcare.

So, when they came round again, I made it clear that I could only care for the younger kids if the Network/Social Services referred them.

They haven't been back so far, but they did get into the garden and trashed a toddler trampoline, several sand toys, a trike and left rubber marks on the slide by riding a wheelie toy down it. At which point, I saw them there and chucked them out.

Nothing since, so I hope they've given up.