What do I need to ask potential childminder?

[dinny]

Have found someone I really liked, have asked everything I can think of - what else should I ask? She is newly-registered so hasn't had her Ofsted inspection yet (have seen her reg certificate though). Thanks!

bump

Im no expert but i do have a childminder - some things that spring to mind are:

Does she encourage teeth brusing? if so do you need to provide brush/paste?
Does she do any educational activities, if so are they documented and can you see updates?
What meals do you need to provide and what snacks will be given if your child is hungry?
Do you need to provide car seat? if not, look at her car seat. Also, check her car looks alright!
How much TV does she allow?
Whats the procedure for fire? how often are drills performed?
What is the procedure if the childminder is sick? does she provide alternative care (mine does but i believe this is rare..)
How much notice is required (from both sides!) for holidays, cancellations, changes etc.
Most importantly - her insurance details. make sure these are all okay, if something happens to your child in her care she needs to be insured to make sure she can cover any costs (eg - your child breaks something in a shop, damages something or hurts themselves or another child).

Hope this is a bit helpful at least!

BTW if it helps my childminder is wonderful, and i could not live without her.

thanks, Tommysmama - very helpful!

Also ...:
Has she looked after other los - can you talk to their parents
What are her food policies
How does she deal with discipline issues

If you & your kids like her that's probably the most important thing

Alison?s list of questions to ask

How long have you been working with children?

What training have you had? Any qualifications? Are
you part of a network, achieved a quality assurance
qualification

Look at registration certificate, insurance details,
business use for car.

First aid must be no more than 3 years old, food
hygiene certificate, Certificate in Childminding
practice or NVQ 3

Contracts and record forms are they offical/legal

Do you enjoy being with children and why?

Can I look around, see the rooms and outside play
space? If there is no outside play space - how will
you make sure my child gets the chance to play
outside?

Where will my child rest?

What kind of food and drink will you give? Can I see a
menu?

What will my child do all day?

How do you encourage good behaviour?

Will my child be with a regular group of children? How
old are they? How will their timetable fit in with my
child?

How will you make sure I know how my child is getting
on?

What hours is she open?

How much does she charge?

What about when my child is sick, holidays, days off

What do you do in an emergency?

When was her last Ofsted, can you see the report?

Top 10 Quality Pointers

When you visit possible childcare options, look for
these Quality Pointers:

Are the children calm, safe, happy and busy?

Do children play and talk together?

Is the childminder listening to the children and
answering them carefully?

Is the childminder friendly and proud of her work?

Is she joining in joining in with what the children
are doing?

Are there lots of fun activities planned to help
children learn and play? Can children plan some of
these activities themselves?

Are there plenty of clean toys and equipment for
children to use?

Is the premises clean, well kept and safe for children
with a fun outside play area (or will the child go to
parks and other places regularly)?

Do parents have plenty of chances to say what they
want for their children?

If there are other things you want to know, don't be
afraid to ask. Good childminders expect you to ask
questions and will be happy to answer them.

Always take up references. You could ask for names of
other parents to talk to about the service

See how your child reacts in the setting

Always trust your own feelings about your childcare -
you know your child best

hope these help!

Ask for a copy of her inspection report as soon as she gets it. If she's new she won't have any references from parents who've used her service as a childminder but does she have any written references from past employers or character references? Even if they're not childcare related it will be reassuring to find she was reliable & valued in previous employment.

Is she a parent or does she have any other childcare experience from previous jobs?

I think your gut reaction is the most important factor - its important she shares/respects your views on diet, discipline and the range/type of activities/toys available etc; so make sure you've discussed these before you sign up.

Ask her is she has cover if she is sick or otherwise unavailable?

Does she expect to be paid for her holidays?

How much notice will she give you for her holidays?

What are her late charges (if this is likely to happen)?

Ask her for references and call them.

thanks for all your responses!

she is a teacher on career break, so has 10 years exp with children.

BUT, dh and I sat down last night and worked out figures and paying for ds to be with childminder and dd to do breakfast/after-school club whilst factoring in a two-hour commute each way means it just ain't financially viable! ggggrrrrrrrr. still, bit of a relief as it's not my ideal situ to leave my dd and ds for such a LONG day.

so, will keep on doing my anti-social hours and share childcare with dh, until I can work from home (one day, I'm hoping!)

thanks for your posts just the same.