Latest report on cost of childcare: is a childminding agency coming?

[Italiana]

This is the latest report in The Telegraph today
Is a National agency coming to produce more c/ms ?
I am sure you will have many comments

Blindly! I meant blindly!

I can't type, don't hold it against me, please.

I agree with you Tanith on that, I have lost all my busines to a local nursery. They have taken my before and after school business and full time places.

I offer 7.30 till 6 and also can offer 7 am till 7 pm if people need for shift work, I offer a sibling reduction for people with 2 or more children and still cannot fill places. How much do people think they can pay when I charge £3.50 per hour, way below min wage?

I am not going to drop my day fees of £30 per day (for full-timers) which include all meals and outings to playcentres and tots sessions. Parents usually bring their own nappies etc but I have some spare in case I run out. I have NVQ Level 3 Early Years and a Level 2 Teaching Assistant qualification for helping the older children with homework.

I think if you are planning on having children you have to think about these costs if you intend of returning to work. This government seem to think us c/ms can work for nothing when Tax credit is not paid on time - don't get me on that either

I would like to dispel one worry ...an agency would not be your local nursery but possibly the chain that runs many nurseries...
whoever comes in (God forbid) as the 'middleman' will want to make money and have a business plan for those it has under ...so no local nursery but LAs could apply or representing associations or anyone the govt would appoint

I also understand c/ms could be the agency if they get a number of c/ms under them...lots of ideas have been mentioned
We need to get the point across that c/ms can be a bit more independent as long as we pay our way...unfortunately our cost of registration and inspection is still a problem but who know what the DfE will do...after all they have had plenty of good suggestions

In the last couple of days we have had Prof Helen Penn coming out against deregulation and she is doing a research about cost fo childcare for the DfE...now that is the one I would like to see

Why would the DfE commisssion another research when the childcare Commission has just closed??
Also a new campaign has started 'Regulation Matters' backed by the NCB and many big organizations...all in all we are starting to hear some noises...we also need parents speaking up for their children

I cincerely hope they do NOT deregulate cms Asmy!! I and many other cms have worked very hard to put forward a professional business. We are already priced out by nurseries with the funding they get for 2and 3 year olds. I have policies and have attended numerous safeguarding and first aid courses. If they deregulate I feel this would damage our businesses.

I was inspected by OFSTED 3 years ago, was marked 'Good' but why have I no children - because I am competing against local private nurseries and other cms who have now starting using our school to bring and collect children (as the school had 'no room' for my postcard sized NCMA vacancy card ). Have tried adversiing by putting business cards on cars, vacancy cards in shops who charge my £1 per month for this. I am not allowed to advertise in supermarkets or at the library and I just feel this is unfair as I canot get any business yet am still having to pay public liability insurance just in case I get someone.

One thing that is 'FOR' c/ms is the fact we do wraparound care and holiday care which is at present in crisis.....no nursery does that, in addition a c/m can have children from babies to age 11...that is what I call continuity !!!

Any parent should consider the benefit of that rather than change care arrangements every 2 years...

I wonder how many c/ms would leave the profession if an agency was the way forward...I have spoken to so many who would...scary and the govt will have achieved nothing and spent a lot of money on this and that and the other?

Even if it was not my local nursery, but a chain that owns a local nursery, I'm not sure I'd get a good deal!

I have a BA in early years and I'm half way through my EYP and I am sad if it all goes to waste, because someone wants to tell me how to run my very successful business, or charge me exorbitant fees for their so called expert knowledge.

I doubt it anyone would get a good deal under an agency including parents
I feel the added burden of paperwork would put anyone off, cost will not be lower, we would lose our independence and lots and lots more...

So on we fight against this proposal and need parents on our side as well
All we can do is wait for the announcement and that should not be too far away

As a mother who has used both nursery & CM and now CM, I would be horrified if they deregulated or set up some sort of 'agency' BUT do wholeheartedly agree that there is far far too much on-going paperwork in following the EYFS when the very reason many parent's opt for CM over nursery is because they want a home-from-home environment.

As a parent I wanted to know my CM was offering my 1 year old son a stimulating environment with exposure to different activities, toys, games, people etc within a homely and loving environment. I couldn't give 2 hoots about a baseline or summative assessment, I didn't feel the need to see weekly or monthly observations, I really wasn't fussed if my CM worked in partnership with the pre-school, I certainly didn't want to decipher one of those awful colour coded EYFS assessment grids most nurseries seem to produce.

I liked the odd picture, I appreciated my daily dairy (or text/email equivalent) so I knew what he'd been doing, food & naps times etc, I can see how the new 2 year check & possibly 6monthly reviews might be beneficial to ensure any problems are picked up & actioned but do wonder why cm can't drop some of the planning, observations & assessments for under 3's at least.