starting as a childminder ..... advise needed please

[pugsmum]

my mum is starting up as a childminder but is struggling to get work as there are so many childminders in our area..... can anyone suggest some handy ways to be better than the rest and also what you might look for in a great childminder as mothers !!!

she has been working as a primary school teacher in state and primary schools for the past 10 years and will be looking after my son which is one of the reasons she chose to persue this career .

any handy tips would be great big or small ! ie what you expect the house to look like , what would give her the edge qualification wise , activities that might strand out from the rest , meals and lunches ect ......

I would like a child minder who was keen to get the kids outdoors in all weathers. My nursery does not do this - only go outside if weather is perfect, as a result he can sometimes go days and weeks without barely a breath of fresh air, the outdoors can be a great learning ground too, growing things, nature etc. I think that could be a unique selling point if she was that way inclined.

Her teacher background would be a major plus for me so she should shout loud and proud about that.

Your mum should home in on her primary school teacher skills. (ensure this is mentioned when advertising)

Does your mum attend any groups ie childminding or stay and play? She needs to use this opportunity to make herself known. Have you got a childrens centre in the area, if so use this route to advertise.

Word of mouth and recommendation is the best way to advertise.

Would your mum consider doing emergency childminding. Can someone remind me of the organisation you can register with?

All the best for your mum

Also you can also help by spreading the word too.

ah all great info thanx guys ..... keep it coming if you can !!

How is everything going?

Well, what do the other childminders in the area do? What kind of services do they offer? Where do they advertise? It may be there's a school that isn't covered by them that your mum could hone in on. I'd also recommend getting out and about to as many playgroups as possible, get chatting to people and spread the word about her childminding. If people see your mum taking good care of your son that's the best advert ever.

I have a blog that was very easy to set up and shows the kinds of activities I carry out with my kids, it's had loads of positive comments from people locally and got me a few enquiries. I also have a Facebook page and I link my blog posts to it, it's amazing how many likes I've got from people I don't even know - it's like word of mouth online. I've put sample menus, policies and my inspection report on there too.