How much to pay an non-registered childminder?

[Thomcat]

She is a friend and will have my DD2 from 9am until 6pm 2 days a week. She isn't registered but has childminded before, has a DD the same age as mine DD2, a 2 yr old and a 12 yr old. She offered to have DD2 for me on those 2 days when I go back to work. I like her a lot, trust her and feel very happy and lucky. We'll start off on a months trail basis so she can back out if it's too much.

How much is fair to pay her?

TIA.

Yes Jones - an aunt/grandparent can legally be paid to look after a child without being registered, but you won't get any help with the childcare costs, which you could do (up to 70% in some cases) if ther were registered.

Thanks PandaG

(and is only a theory atm as my sister, sadly, lives 300 miles away )

To get around the issue of registration, if your friend came to your house, bringing her DD with her, then English law would see her as being a nanny.

Childcare Act 2006 - commonly called Childcare Act has now replaced the Children Act 1989, though parts of it don't seem to come into effect for a while. Care Standards Act 2000 is also a point of reference regarding caring for children.

If in Scotland, then there are some different rules - best to contact the Care Commission.

bubble99... legally payment doesn't even need to be money. It's caring for a child for more than 2 hours per day at your home rather than the child's home, for reward, that's illegal. Reward in this sense can be the occasional box of chocolates, bunch of flowers.

Back in my childhood, in the late 70's, I remember being at friends houses quite often without my mum being there... back then parents would quite often ask other parents to care for their children for short periods, in exchange for caring for their children sometime in the future, or for getting shopping etc. This would have been ad-hoc care through, not a permanent arrangement. Anyone else recall what happened regarding child daycare in their childhood?

So an aunt or grandparent can be paid legally, but a friend can't?

How odd. I'd trust my friends a lot more than my sister!

What about cousins or other family members, like great aunts? Anyone know?

friends and relatives can look after your kids without payment? payment? what payment? it's a favour to a good friend......never mind how much to pay her, just make sure it's in cash! problem with tax and NI, obvioulsy, but...

\link{http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/workandchildcare/relcare/\Here's} a bit of loose info on relative childcare Caligula.

It's just as odd imo that anyone anywhere can care for an over eight year old. Like they suddenly don't need the same protection once they hit their 8th birthdays.

Also, as a nursery owner I need to speak up for my childminding cousins and point out that good childminding is more than the name implies. I've never like the word 'minding.'

Nursery staff and CMs attend similar courses and all have training which makes the child's day more than just being 'minded.'

In the Childcare Bill (which I thought was now an Act, but still seems to list as being a Bill - anyone know if this got changed on 6th April, or not?) it says that:

"childcare" does not include care provided for a child by a relative of the child
\link{http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200506/ldbills/085/06085.9-13.html\Childcare Bill - HTML version. See 18(4)c}

"your relative would need to become a registered childminder. There's no reason why they shouldn't do this, but they will have to be willing to care for other children as relatives can't register solely to care for a related child."

Why not? How mad.

Am also surprised by that, how could it possibly be enforced?

It does seem a bit bonkers I agree. I am guessing it is partly to prevent families from swapping - on paper - children to claim the benefits. As the cost of registration is heavily subsidised I assume the government might want value for money in terms of numbers of minded children from the childminders they register.
It's got to be easy though to put on a 'willing' front and have no intention of caring for any other children.

I know several people who, as registered childminders, care for a relative's child and no others. And I know several registered childminders who registered solely to care for friend's child, and no others.

We are allowed to mind as many or as few children as we want, within the constraints of our registration. It is certainly not up to Ofsted to dictate that we should fill our quota!

(They'll probably issue that as the next new Standard).

yes - you could dress up in your soviet "mad boris" outfit from Little England and talk about how you will guard their children with your life, whenever a prospective client comes round!

Or talk about how your husband is on nights so you don't allow any talking all day in the house.

LOL at 'Mad Boris' interview technique.

Thomcat, if you hire her as a nanny for 2 days a week and she works for somewhere around £100/weel or less your taxes will be practically nill. Would this be an option? You can write a fixed term contract with a probation period so it doesn't lock into being an employer long term. But, the trouble with this plan is that you would be legally required to pay her minimum wage (unless she moves in with you).

Thomcat- call her a child minder and paying her may be illegal, but a friend looking after you child isn't. Although if money over and above your daughters share of the food etc was exchanged then it would make it illegal again.

If your 2 friends that can do each other a favour then why hire a nanny or a childminder, perhaps offer 2 days/ evenings in return.

That should read "2 friends" not your 2 friends.

NannyNick - the Childcare Bill has not become an Act yet - it is currently still in committee stage in the House of Lords, so is still subjecrt to change. Not sure when it will be passed but the Government are hoping for it to be final before the summer recess.