Emergency childminding - is there a market for this?

[MadameDefarge]

I am considering training to be a childminder but I don't really want to do full time five days a week.

So I was thinking about being an emergency childminder for the days when people need emergency childcare.

Do people think this could be a good idea?

I don't know how that would work with ofsted inspections?

Well, I suppose it would mean I had the qualifications of a childminder, so could have children either at my home or go to their home.

You don't have to work full time to be a cm. I usually only do 4 days after school and two days a week in the holidays. If I take on more children then I suppose I will inevitably lose some of the days off in order to earn more, but I'm sure there are plenty of families who would appreciate a part time cm, maybe mixed with after school clubs.

It is a big commitment doing it every day, but if you have your own DCs it is a great job to give you flexibility. I can imagine being an emergency cm might actually be harder as people will need to rely on you at short notice, which means you may be reluctant to plan anything until you know you're not working, and you'd have to be excellent as their reputation is on the line by using you too.

I suppose this is why cms build up a network of other cms they know and trust for emergencies, they know they will more than likely be available as they are committed to being there for their own mindees every day.

Interesting points Doing!

I could also look at doing before school minding. DS is 14 and sorts himself out now, but obviously I still have to be here!

I have a lot of experience in childcare, and worked in school as an LSA for three years. but I think I need a formal qualification now.

When I was a single parent in London I signed up to an agency that offered emergency child care when my daughter was aged between 3 and 5 but fortunately I never had to use it as my daughter would have found it very hard to meet someone new at short notice - she was very clingy and had extreme separation anxiety until she was about 6.

So I am not sure that as a business model it is workable as I bet that is the scenario for quite a few parents - but if you were able to get to know the children and were available at short notice, I would have liked to have signed up for that.

But then I left. London and got a live in au pair as that seemed to be the only way to make it work.

There is a nanny agency based nearby which does precisely that. So I guess I could sign up with them, but I really want some formal qualification so I can have flexibility to have children in my own home if that suited everyone.

Do you really have to be at home before school with a 14 year old??

Probably not. But I like to be here for him. He has dyspraxia and a good deal of anxiety, so if I can be here I prefer to be.

Sort of the point of the whole exercise really!

I think it would work for people who had a nanny and she got ill, or people who use grandparents and they got ill / went on holiday. You would have to publicise it well though, I would not even think to look for it iyswim?

yes, that was my kind of thinking trilby, that, and before school stuff.

If I had a base level of income from before school care, then I could do the emergency stuff as and when as an extra.

Id have loved a service like this when i was expecting DS2, we have no-one who could have DS1 so the options were either a home birth or have DS2 on my own in the hospital while DP stayed at home with toddler DS1. As it turned out, i had a home birth and all was fine but it was a stressful time worrying about the different possibilities and knowing if anything went wrong, we'd have to go to hospital with no support - an emergency child minder who could have been "in call" to take DS1 where i knew he'd be safe and happy would have made things a lot easier and would be something id consider for as of yet hypothetical DS3!

I'm quite plugged into the local childcare community and parents having looked after niece and nephew for a couple of years so I reckon getting the word out would not be too hard.

If you pitched it as ad hoc care rather than emergency you might pick up the mums who want to get to the hairdresser/Christmas shopping sans DCs etc. Those who work shift patterns but can't afford to pay weekly to hold a place, too.

You might be onto something...

Madame if you're anywhere near me id be surprised, no-one on here ever really seems to say they live near! But I've seen that issue come up a few times so wherever you live, Im sure you'd get similar clients

Hiya Herby

ah yes deep, that is indeed an idea too!

You need to do a sort of Intro To CMing course, First Aid and whatnot

Your local Early Years Team (based at LEA) can signpost

Ah fuuuuck why don't I digest what I am reading huh. You already prob have links/contacts from your prev work. Ignore prev post!

Yes have the Intro booked for July! But you weren't to know that!

What I should have said was Good Luck my dear not ramble on. Hahahah.

But glad you think its a reasonable idea.

I'm a cm & work 3 days a week during term time & 2 days a week during holidays plus the occasional extra day when asked.
I offer emergency/ad hoc care & have had a couple of people use me for this but if I totted up what I've earned from this alone & I've probably just about covered my start-up costs so not sure I'd reply on it for regular income.

There are a few CMs in my area who keep a space free for their DCs friends to come and play, so they also offer emergency/adhoc/holiday childminding, so it would be tough to make any money doing that here. Other areas may have no one that offers this.