Thinking of becoming a part time childminder

[felicityheather]

Hi!

I have a full time job, reasonably well paid that I work over four long days. (2 days 7-16:30, 2 days 8-6). I'm currently three months into my maternity leave with my first son. I would love to stay home with my son permanently but I'm the main wage earner and we'd love to have another child (for which I'd need maternity pay!).

Currently I'm considering going back 3 days a week, for 75% pay then becoming a registered childminder for two days a week, potentially with only one additional child.

I know pay as a childminder isn't fantastic but I've done my sums and with the reduction in childcare for my own son, it is a comparable picture and much more enjoyable for me to spend another day a week with my son.

I have some voluntary experience with children and am pretty confident I'd manage well and enjoy childminding.

I have some reservations about whether it would be a lot of upheaval for my son... he would have 2 days a week with me and mindees, 2 at nursery or local CM and one with my mum.

I would LOVE some thoughts from childminders.

Also can anyone recommend a level 3 course that costs less than £200! I'm struggling to find one!

You’re massively limiting your market if you can only offer 2 days a week.

Also, look at your tax liability as a second job.

Yes I've done some sums on tax. Think it would still be worthwhile. Cm's are quite in demand where I live... was hoping I would find parents looking for part time care. I don't think I could justify giving my career up for childminding, as much as I might love to!

Most childminders I know will be minding more than one child and doing school drop offs as well - I don’t think there’s much money at all to be made from just minding one.

I don't have a problem with doing more but money wise I'm really only looking for a top up - a few hundred a month ideally. It's designed to cover our 'fun' expenses, like baby classes and lunches out etc. Mostly the idea is if I'm not working the extra day I don't have to fork out for childcare and the extra cash covers the deficit. We won't be reliant on it. And I figure any expenses will be deducted before tax so it won't work out as a negative. My thought with only having one child is that I can still do nice fun parenty things and days out with my son and the mindee.

I can't imagine looking after two toddlers all day and giving them equal attention if one was mine and the mindee wasn't. Obviously it's possible because plenty of people manage it but I can't help but think that given you'll be working for your PAYE job 3 days a week that it might be a bit much to then be looking after a mindee on the other two weekdays. I don't think it would be very enjoyable, especially when you consider the paperwork involved to appease Ofsted.

As well as the training costs you'll need a double pushchair, more toys/activities than you would buy just for your child and probably incur costs making your house/garden tick all the safety boxes for Ofsted. I can't help but think that you'd barely make a profit until the first six months has passed.

My friend recently gave up child minding, she said realistically you won't make money for a year once you start up. One of the reason I went in to nannying instead. It's not as simple as just looking after a child, there's start up costs, admin, ofsted inspections etc

I think the paperwork involved in Cming these days is driving a lot of the established ones out of business. I can’t imagine it would be worth all the stress for one mindee just to earn a bit of fun money.

I have to be really honest though and say - if I was looking for a childminder I would be put off by someone with their own baby looking after just my child, especially if you’re new at doing it. It would seem quite obvious that you’re doing it for your own convenience and because you want to spend time with your own DC, not because you have a love for the job itself. I would have concerns about my child being treated fairly and having a fair share of your attention and I wouldn’t feel comfortable with my child being a kind of ‘add on’ to the day while you enjoy spending time with your DC. I’m not saying those worries would be justified - but potential clients may think it and so not bother with you. That and being available only 2 days a week may make it hard to find work.

I was a childminder with just my own child and one other and it was really hard work. Trying to give each the attention is harder when one of them is yours, although I did it and they are still really close and one starts secondary school this time.
Depending on the demand for childminders in your area you might have to wait a while to fill a part time vacancy. Demand isn’t high where I am and I can wait for months for a space to be filled.
Tbh in your situation I don’t think it would be worth doing. There is far more to the job than just working when the dc are there and I would think far more expenses than you have factored into your sums to do the job well eg a basic training course (which ofsted like to see to show you are striving to better the environment the children are in) will cost £35 round here and is done in the evening. So, depending on how much you charge, that could be a whole days pay and an evening gone. If you only have one child your income is going to be so low but you are going to be working really hard for what little you do get.

In your situation, I think I would prefer to do the 4 long days out at work and spend the fifth doing lovely things with my child, just the two of us. My children have always preferred the days where is is just them and me, regardless of who the other children are.

It’s not just finding someone who wants part time care but actually someone who wants the exact two days you are offering. That’s tough.

Plus I think with all the costs it takes to be a childminder, you’d really struggle to make any profit. Some expenses aren’t pro-rata to your two days a week such as first aid, ofsted registration, insurance, memberships.

There's a home based childcare level three course that isn't too expensive. But are you seats off all the other courses you'd have to do and keep up with. I childminded 4 days a week for a while and worked another job one day a week. I had my own children and could only take on one extra to begin with. It didn't put people off. But it's a lot of work for not a lot of money once you deduct expenses etc. I don't do it anymore cause i just didn't have time for all the extra work like paperwork

The set up costs for becoming a CM are around £600 and that doesn't include if you need to buy extra resources such as double buggy, highchair, cot bed. Where I live CMs charge between £4-5 per hour so you'd be earning £80 per week from one child and it would take a while to break even.

There are ongoing costs such as Ofsted fees, training costs and insurance fees so limiting yourself to one child 2 days a week you will find it much longer to make any sort of money.

Don't underestimate how your own child will cope having to share you with another child and as a parent I agree with PP that there may be concerns as to whether my child would be second best to your own and/or how seriously you are taking the job.

There is also A LOT of paperwork, even for just one mindee.

Sorry, I don't mean to put you off. I just think I would find it very difficult/stressful to work 2 jobs and have to fit in all the training and paperwork on top.

I don’t mean this horribly but I wouldn’t use a childminder who only took on one other child plus had there own child. My sons opportunities to socialise would be fairly limited if there was only one other child there and I would be concerned your reasons for doing childcare were mainly financial not as you love working with children. Also if your child is very young I would be concerned everything was geared around there needs.

A childminders job when done well is incredibly difficult and tiring. My toddler has a fantastic childminder her kids are older and she loves the kids she cares for and in turn they love her. She is amazing with the kids and they have so much fun and are cared for very well.

My eldest sons childminder went into it when money was tight as a SAHM and it showed. She favoured her own kids, constantly complained about her mindees, allowed her 4 year old son to be mean to children as young as , kept taking days off for school events etc and left toddlers to sleep for up to 5 hours a day so she didn’t have to deal with them (she then blamed the parents as the kids were not sleeping at night as they had to much sleep during the day).

Unless your heart is truly in childminding and you love working with kids please don’t go into it. It’s not a well paid proffesion or one that always has reliable work.

I would recommend the PACEY level 3 course but I doubt very much you will find a proper course for under £200.

Thanks to all those giving constructive advice. I'd budgeted about £700 to get set up plus ongoing costs, memberships, insurances, training and equipment etc.
To those saying I'd be bad because I'd only be doing it for money, or prioritise my own child etc, I appreciate your point of view but I think most people work for money? Also many childminders have children and manage. I've considered becoming a childminder for 5+ years but it's never made sense financially as I'm the main wage earner in a technical engineering job. I love children and volunteer at various child clubs every week for free and now take my own child and manage well (although I've lowered my responsibilities at both as my baby is still young and ratio wise he'd be 1:2). In experiences in safeguarding and special educational needs. I appreciate my plan isn't perfect and might not make a lot of sense but it was a chance for me to spend two days a week doing a job I love with my child. Not trying to get out of childcare and dragging another child along. I also can pick which days of the week I work at my office job so that would work with one family who wanted a placement. It's probably childish of me, but I found it a little insulting that people thought I hadn't thought this through at all. Either way, I asked for advice on a public forum so thanks to those that replied!

My childminder had her own child at home who was the same age as mine - birthdays one day apart. It was the reason I picked her - two children the same age, developmentally doing things at the same time, etc. They became great friends, and even though they went to different schools, my child and hers are still friends 20 years later.

Hello I am a part time child minder. I childmind mon to weds and have another job thurs to sat. On tues and wed I have 2 other children as well as my own (then pick up my older one from school later so have 4 under 6 by 330). On Mondays I have purposely kept it to one minded child. Unlike a few posters that have said that this offers limited experiences for the minded child I'd say it's the opposite and that that child is lucky. We go further afield and are generally more adventurous on that day and do fun field trips. I also have extra time to focus on that child's needs. It is during her nap time that I have cuddle time with my son.
It's much more rewarding than my other job and I'm just too scared to go fully self employed!

Thanks @daisypond and @WhatILoved I feel that with just two I could do more excursions and have more focus on both children. I thought some parents would see that as an advantage. I felt that although it is absolutely for money, it's also to benefit my child with a sibling like experience and the other family may feel the same. The money is really to make it feasible!

Also if I charge £5/hr (normal round here is £6/hr) for eight hours for two days, I could pay back my start up costs in about two months, which doesn't seem unreasonable.

If you love children it will show. I work with children because I love them. My toddlers childminder is amazing because she loves children and obviously she works for money but works at a job she loves. She is incredibly busy as people know how good she is.

What some people see as a negative others will see as a positive. I liked that my toddlers childminder only took on under school age kids and had a dog and cat but others may not like that. Just as some parents may like that you only have your own child.

Paying back your start up costs in two months is assuming that everything you earn is profit. Which doesn’t happen...

Think carefully about the time commitment to the necessary training. I work with CM's. Training is very often in the evening due to CM's time in the day but some does happen during the day.
CM's also have their own networks where they meet with/without the children they mind.

In my role we visit you at home quite regularly due to the funding. We need to ensure safeguarding requirements are in place.

This is quite a commitment.

Ofsted inspections in particular can be tough making all training really necessary if you are to be up to date with expectations.

Considering all of that and still wanting to go ahead, go for it. We have more people leaving the job than joining at the minute.

I can understand you being frustrated at some of the queries and comments arising from MNers who assume you haven’t thought it through. After all, you did say you’ve done your sums and can live with the results. But, that being the case, it isn’t at all clear what you are asking, nor what sort of comments you might find helpful.

The only thing you seem to have reservations or questions about is how your son might react, and nobody is in much of a position to tell you about your own son.

I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t give it a go if your calculations add up to something worthwhile. I have only two small reservations. I think you need to be able to take other people’s comments and suggestions onboard. Childminders ride a steep learning curve from the start, and it can be a huge benefit to learn from other people instead of making your own mistakes. I also think, if you’re insulted by comments that were kindly meant, you may need to develop a slight thicker skin to endure a lot of what childminding can involve.

Very fair @itsaboojum ! I think I asked the questions with lots of assumptions in my own head that I hadn't made clear. I do value all the input and lots of the comments.