Top tips for finding new childminders please......

[CakeandFineWine]

Hi all
So what are peoples top tips for finding a new childminder.
What are the best questions to ask ect.
I was in a rush when I looked for my current one and due to her expanding baby bump realyy have got to get down to finding a new one.
Oh my LO has just turned one

What are your top tips?
Thanks

ring your local childrens information services or find them via the ofsted site your local childminders will be registered with them.
also you can check their grading on the ofsted site by typing in your postcode

How about - are you about to sell your house and move right away, so you can't start minding my children like it said in that contract we signed two months ago?
Am feeling bit dispirited as just found out the above has happened and have to start the whole miserable process all over again.
I'm going to trawl through the local authority list again and ask everyone I know to keep their ears open for someone. The local childminders group in theory has a list of people looking for vacancies, but I haven't had any enquiries through them.
I had great long list of questions about routines, experience, activities etc, but much good it did me.
I like your name, is it from Withnail and I?

Yeah it is! Cool huh!

I've had an equally poo experience.
Reluctantly went back to work morgage, bills blah blah blah meant I had no choice but full time.
Put DD into nursery and hated it, care wasn't very good and they were amazingly inflexible.
Decided on childminder went through the whole process found one we really liked but she didn't have a full time space until July, So me & DP have sacraficed seeing each other for FOUR months by doing different shifts so we could use her and she tells us 2 months ago she was 17 weeks pregnant! AAARRGGGHHH
I'm really annoyed but know its one of those things! I'm normally SO un-prejudice it annoys my work collegues but think I might find one over 50! LOL!!

Where do you live?

I'm a childminder and would love some genuine customers that actually want quality care and are going to pay me and appreciate me.

Have you looked on here at the list of cm's with vacancies?

Yellow pages?
Childcare link?
local paper?
shop windows?

I'm in Stafford
Hardly anyone on here lives here
Think I've found a few to go and meet now through mumsnet and word of mouth.

Yes, v cool name.
DS1 went to nursery from 9 months and I wish I hadn't put him through it. There were just too many staff changes and it wasn't the right place for him from such a young age. So was feeling bit smug when found a childminder who seemed to fit. So depressed about having to start again.
guess pregnant childminder does test your liberal credentials.
Good luck.