am I asking for trouble?

[tinyturtletim]

I am a childminder, and there is a new childminder started in an area next to me who picks up from the same school.

One of my parents has given my number to a friend of hers as she wants a different childminder, the situation is the child goes to this other person at the moment.

We have had a coffee together, and in all honesty she is to involved in the school gate drama and I decided not to become close and just be polite

So if I take on this child , am I breaking some kind of code? Is business business? I don't owe her anything and could do with the extra one.

Business is business afaic

The other mum isn't happy with the childcare the other cm provides and wants a new cm

That's not your fault - and you need the money

She might accuse you of poaching her children, but you are simply running a business it will blow over eventually. I had this and it was difficult to handle as the other CM was my friend.

You may not know the whole story - maybe the family or child does not fit in well at the other CM's and she may have even suggested the parents look elsewhere and be pleased if you take him/her on. I always ask parents whether they have and previous childcare and what prompted them to leave (and had some very interesting answers).

Often people will volunteer either that the current carer is not aware they are leaving, but many more say that the carer has been told or even suggested they look for a new place because of x, y or z (usually down to practicalities rather than any sort of falling out). I would try asking - it may put your mind at rest.

Like minderjinx I ask too. However be weary ... as I have burnt myself once when I accepted a parent who was telling me all those bad stories about the childminder she had her child with. Then after a month she upped and went without paying and called the police when I filed a claim with my insurance for non payment. Then she obviously found something wrong with the care I had provided for her child which ended up with a complaint to Ofsted (they were very understanding and the complaint came to nothing really but all this stress was unnecessary).
I have children from other childminders though but the reasons for moving were valid like childminder unable to fulfil the pick up or provide a drop off etc. as the circumstances changed. I would not take a child off my close childminder friend if they had a fall out.

The child is unhappy at the cm as she is very shouty and really over strict with the children.

Which I believe to true as I have seen her a few times with the ones she minds, but he personality is very forward and can come across as rude I suppose to a new person.