Firstly, my dd's childminder and her husband are lovely. Dd (4.5) really likes them; they are older- granny/ grandpa types, have been CMing for nearly 20 years and came highly recommended to me. Several of the teachers at dd's school have used them.
Dd is taken to and from school most days by CMs, and spends some of the holidays with them as well. They have a minibus for the school run, which is unfortunately terminally ill. Things came to a head on the afternoon of the CM's Annual Halloween party- quite a big affair- Mrs CM was already at the comm.hall organising things, Mr CM had to take 2 babies in minibus, and pick up dd and 3 friends at school and take them to the party. Minibus broke down and couldn't be moved. Mr CM called a taxi, and asked for a seven seater, which arrived with seconds to spare, it only had 3 seatbelts! If he had sent it away, he wouldn't have been in time to pick up dd and friends, so he strapped in the babies and took taxi to school. Youngest of dd's friends got a seatbelt, dd and two friends didn't. .
I was bit shocked to hear this from dd, but after hearing from the CM's that evening what had happened agreed that they had done their best in the circs,- they couldn't have left 4 4-6 yr olds at the school gates!
I asked several times this week if they are manging with the school run, and Mrs CM has said yes. they are looking for a new minibus.
Dd has now told me that today she was taken in a car to nearby school, on first leg of school run, then LEFT ON HER OWN IN CAR, while Mr CM took other children to school gates, then came back to drive her to her school, a bit further away.
I'm beginning to despair, and wonder whether they should really be looking after dd- surely she could have walked to the school gates with the other children, rather than being left alone in the car?
Don't know if Mrs CM knows about this, and will of course ask next time I see them- I'm hoping that dd has got it wrong, but she is quite adamant that she was on her own in the car, and she couldn't see the school gates from the car, so she was out of Mr CM's sight, even if only for a few mins. Yes, it was raining, but....