Non- registered childminder, taking the piss

[Ripeberry]

Sorry about the tittle but it says it all.
Where i live there are quite a few villages and lots of childminders are having trouble filling their places.
In the last year or so i've noticed one lady in perticular who seems to have different children everyday and comes to the school each day.
In conversation with a friend who goes to the same school, i innocently asked.."Is X a childminder then?" and they replied "Oh no, she's not registered but she's lovely and cheap"
These were parents who are willing to let someone who is unqualified and unregistered look after their children.
And she takes them to her house so she is not acting like a Nanny.
She has up to 6 at any one time but she does not do babies or toddlers.
Is she breaking some kind of law? or is it all down to how long she looks after them, because if anything happened whilst they were in her care how could they prove it?
AB

depends if the children she is looking after are over 8. she wouldn't need to be registered then (although there is a place where you can get registered for over 8's if you want)

if I were you I would let ofsted/ncma know just to be on the safe side

what ages are they. i hate unregistered minders, we have to go through so much to register before and after and they should be reported, the parents should be fined aswell, if thats all they think of their children.

Message withdrawn

Report her!

How awful that this lady is looking after so many children while unregistered! its unfair on the registered childminders in her area, not to mention how dangerous it is! Are these parents stupid?
Do they not read the newspapers?

registration is so important in so many ways, child safety is of the upmost importance!

give me her number- I'll call it in!

if she has them for less than 2 hours each day she wouldn't need to be reg.

I would report her anyway even if she's not breching any regulations Ofsted would encourge her to get reg.

I have and will report anyone who is out of line it's just unfair the crap we have to go through for pence then someone else comes along and does it cheaper and not registered. 'Lovely and cheap' some parents don't give a toss (sorry but true), money can't come into a childs welfare

ran over hehe

As a parent I think it is totally stupid to have your kids with anyone who is not registered. My kids mean a damn site more to me than saving money!

Thing is that as i said, everyone here knows each other and even the village bobby knows what she gets up to, but they are trying to get her on some kind of benefit swindle as she says she wont register as it would affect the benefits her familly gets??
By the way, she is not poor but likes to help out at the local playschool BUT only if they pay her.
Most other people volunteer.
Anyway, it just gets on my goat that everyone seems to be protecting her and if she got caught out they would think it was me as an "outsider", who's been here almost 10yrs by the way.
Thanks for your replies.
AB

Being payed for playschool is also benefit fraud, by the way.......
as is earning cash in hand.

She sounds like she's used to swinging the lead and has gotten away with it for a long time....... what do the other childminders around your area think? Would you have any support from them?

so if something happens to one of the children in her unregistered, uninsured and unqualified care, would you still think you should have just kept quiet. she is a disgrace to all us childminders who put our all into our business and should be reported.

If she is taking money she MUST be registered, its against the law. If any of the children has an accident she will not be covered as she has to have an OFSTED reg no to get public liability.

I would never let any of my children go to an unregistered minder.

I thought you only needed to register if you were caring for children under 8y or if you were caring for them for more than 2hours.
I would use unregistered care if I knew the person well enough and trusted them. Also, I don't think that quality of care is directly linked to higher fees.

I have advertised for part time and the number of grannies wanting to work for cash in hand is unbelievable, as if I wouldn't CRB check you and want you insured.
It's an old school attiude I guess they don't think they are doing any harm.