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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

childminder left 9 month old in car

98 replies

snowywol · 12/12/2015 21:42

Hi my sister has just started leaving her 9 month old with a child minder and when I went to collect my nephew the other day he was sleeping in the child minders car. The child minder said he had only been in there because he had been crying a lot and she needed to change other children she had and didn't want to wake him as knew he would be crying. She said it wasn't long but she was in the kitchen when I arrived so not changing the other children. The doors were open but still my sister and I were very shocked. I also have a young child and would never do this or expect my child minder to. My sister is just working out what to do and wondered if anyone else had had a problem like this?
Thanks

OP posts:

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ChewyGiraffe · 13/12/2015 10:09

- sorry, I'd be getting another childminder!

Blondeshavemorefun · 13/12/2015 12:42

A cm or anyone ofsted registered shouldn't leave a child in a car or unattended /out of sight

If op managed to walk past car without op seeing then yes someone could have taken the child

As a nanny I have left children in the car where I work in their drive but I am watching them - ie park by door - or they are in private drive and gates so no risk of strangers

Tho tbh I generally take chicken in / they need to learn to transfer and self settle from car to cot

If your sister is happy with everything else I would just get her to mention it that she would prefer that her son was in the house and not left in the car

WorldsBiggestGrotbag · 13/12/2015 13:24

Iv always just lifted them in to their bed or lifted the car seat (even stage ones) in with the baby in it asleep

I have 2 children and have never managed to lift them into their beds or even lift the car seat out without them waking up! That would be amazing.
Not that I think it's ok to leave them in the car asleep. I always stay in the car with them reading a book on my phone. I can see my drive from my living room but think I'd be constantly popping in and out to check on them so wouldn't really be worth it.

HoggleHoggle · 13/12/2015 13:36

I wouldn't be happy about this either. It would give me the shivers, actually, to go and collect my child (or your DN in this case), walk past the childminders car and see him in there, alone. It's shit to wake a sleeping baby but if the alternative is leaving the baby in a car unattended, then I'd make the choice to wake him.

Chchchchangeabout · 13/12/2015 13:50

I would change childminders and ring ofsted for guidance about reporting.

nannynick · 13/12/2015 17:37

EYFS 2014: 3.28 Children must usually be within sight and hearing
of staff and always within sight or hearing.

Childcare Register - CR1.1 Childminders and home childcarers must ensure that children receiving childcare are kept safe from harm.

Your sister should insist that the childminder must never leave her child alone in the car, regardless of the length of time.

goldglittershitter · 13/12/2015 17:50

Absolutely not on! My baby would not be going back there n I would be reporting to Ofsted without a backwards glance.

Sparklycat · 13/12/2015 17:58

This is why I'd be furious! As a childminder she should be aware of this, especially as it happened to a child minder. www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/tragic-death-11-week-old-6778527

Borninthe60s · 13/12/2015 19:35

If I were your sister I'd ring ofsted and ask them their opinion. Would you let a dog sleep in a kennel in the yard?

lucy101101 · 13/12/2015 19:40

I am shocked at how many posters think this is acceptable! I would never, ever have done this to my own child let alone anyone else's. A number of babies die in car seats every year and this has happened to a member of my family. There are also a number of cases of cars being stolen without the thief noticing that there is a child in the car. I would be reporting the childminder.

BertieBotts · 13/12/2015 21:27

Do people really really really remove their sleeping child, who has been hard won to get to sleep, out of a place where they are sleeping happily to a place where they will definitely wake up and disturb the other kids and not be fully rested and be unhappy, then?

Because I wouldn't have. I have sat in the car when it was too far to be heard from the house, and when in one of those portable seats I used to lug it in but I wouldn't remove them unless I had to.

The very tragic case of the 11 week old who died was UNBUCKLED - so likely had slipped down to a chin to chest position.

LynetteScavo · 13/12/2015 21:40

I would have done this with my own child, but never with someone else's.

I wouldn't report to ofsted but would look for a childminder or nursery with similar views.

I know of one mother who requested the CM leave the baby in the car with the motor running to keep the baby asleep.

lucy101101 · 13/12/2015 22:01

BertieBotts, yes I have always removed my babies from the carseat to lie them prone. Their safety and health was more important than them possibly waking up.

In the tragic case in my family, the baby was buckled in (and correctly).

Blondeshavemorefun · 13/12/2015 22:49

Grotbags and Bertie - if you transfer from early age the babies learn to self settle from car to cot

WorldsBiggestGrotbag · 14/12/2015 01:31

Blondes- tried from birth with both.

BondJayneBond · 14/12/2015 02:44

BertieBotts - I always took my sleeping children out of the car when we got home. Usually transferred them straight from car into cot / bed. Occasionally left them inside in the car seat for a few minutes where we could keep an eye on them while dealing with other child.

But then, mine weren't guaranteed to wake if I did that. They might wake. But they'd often just stir a bit, then settle back to sleep to finish the nap.

HSMMaCM · 14/12/2015 08:33

Thanks nannynick I was just about to look for the out of sight or hearing reference. This depends on so many things. Could she see / hear the child, was it 2 mins while she changed nappies before brining the child in, was it an hour, was she checking or not, was the child strapped in or not, etc etc. Only OP knows. Your sister can choose anything from report to Ofsted to simply asking that her child is not left in the car. Maybe your sister has asked for the child to be left in the car if they are sleeping. We can't know, only OP and her sister can.

I wouldn't do it. I have left children to sleep outside in winter, but they are in a cot with appropriate bedding.

Blondeshavemorefun · 14/12/2015 17:47

You have to train them to self settle. Same as sleeping tho the night etc

I've never had a problem with transferring children I look after from car to cot

What is your sister going to do op?

Hihohoho1 · 16/12/2015 10:23

Yes I did it with my own children but no absolutely not with my minded children.

As a cm I am at work so my job is childcare.

What you do with your own kids is totally irrelevant compared to the minded kids.

Of you can't put up with kids crying you shouldn't be a cm.

Jesabel · 16/12/2015 21:24

I have done this with my own child, but hovered near a window watching.

Wouldn't be happy for a childminder to do it especially it doors are open and the CM is nowhere nearby or watching.

It's a pretty major rule for a CM to break, so I would wonder what else she is sloppy about.

Tanith · 17/12/2015 07:19

This is not allowed. I know of a childminder some years ago who lost her registration and was prosecuted for neglect for doing this: the child was older and she wasn't even working at the time, just doing a friend a favour.

She may not have known about the Daily Mirror report: it occurred in the US. However, she should know - because it comes up enough in training - that we must not leave children to sleep in cars.

I don't know where people are getting these Childminding Standards from: the only standards we are legally obliged to follow are the EYFS.

Badgirlforlife1 · 02/01/2016 08:57

No this unprofessional she should of not does this.
It like leaving your child out side in the buggy and go into the shop without them. We do not do that any more.
It takes a blink of an eye an they are gone.
I would talk to her a say that please do not to that again.

choceclair123 · 12/01/2016 19:49

Can't believe some people think this is ok?!

Car could be stolen
Break failure
Child could be taken
Child could die in car seat (it does happen)!
Child left alone could be sick

No way would I ever do this

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