Looking after a friends child

[CoffeeandGin]

Hi, I'm hoping some of you can give me a bit of advice. I've offered to help out a friend by looking after their child for two days a week during school hours. My other half says I need to find out about the legal side of it etc. The plan was to look after child at my house. Would there be different rules if it was for no payment rather than paid? Thanks for any advice you have.

As long as there is no payment of any sort it's fine in terms of childcare regulations. You are a friend helping a friend. In return they may help you out with something, now or later.

If it's just over holidays then it can be classed as "babysitting" so it's fine. Officially regular childcare is supposed to be done in a certain way but the reality is many would prefer to use a trusted friend.

I they are going to pay you to look after a child in your home - then you would need to register as a childminder with all that that that entails. If you looked after the child at their home then you would be a nanny and not need to register.

m0therofdragons -where do you get that from? The definitions are babysitting and nanny's - parent/child home, childcare's home is either childminding or relative unless no financial reward is given or it is under 2 hours a day.

Op assuming your not getting paid, consider potential issues like care running late misunderstandings and being taken for granted, many a friendship has been ended by this type of arrangement. Also consider what could happen if child has an accident do you have first aid, you wont have insurance.

Thanks for all your advice. It's been a really difficult time figuring out what to do. Have decided it's probably best not to go ahead with it due to all the potential what could go wrongs. My heart still really wants to help this friend out but my head says it's not sensible :-(

There is no requirement to register if it is completely unpaid, ie not for any kind of 'reward' in terms of money, gifts, or favours. You are allowed to reciprocate, ie provide childcare for one another, but that’s all.

In terms of a definition, daytime care is never "babysitting". Ofsted's documents covering "no requirement to register" says babysitting only ever takes place between 6pm and 2am.

Your proposal sounds perfectly lawful. You should give careful consideration to the points Jannier has made. Also, the parents should be awareness of the potential pitfalls for themselves. You will never truly be responsible for the child in a legal sense. The parents need to be aware that, if anything happens (accident, injury, etc.) they could very easily become the subjects of a children's social care case for potential neglect.

But, no, it’s not illegal per se.

I think very few parents that I know use official childcare. I do as I don't want to rely on friends however I earn well, parents who earn less seem to survive with private "illegal"
arrangements paying for expenses rather than care iyswim. It's the reality for many parents.

m0therofdragons - not sure your right their as most families can access childcare vouchers or tax free childcare and then you get 2 year funding before 3 year funding kicks in childcare has never been so well supported financially. Anyone using illegal childcare is likely to not realise what is available to them with many illegals charging as much if not more than legal childcare.