What? I've just read through my childminder's policies and it says they have to keep all paperwork about the child until the child is 21. What?

[LittleBella]

Surely this is bollocks?

Why 21? The age of majority in this country is 18. Where did this 21 business come from?

And do childminders really have to keep all paperwork about every single child they ever look after? Surely they'd need an extra room in their home? What happens if they stop being childminders? What do they do with all that paper?

The paperwork we have to keep to 21 yrs 3 months is anything relating accidents, injuries etc plus contact details, contracts in case of later complications of medical conditions so as to prove what happened whilst in our care.

As a guess, the time that can elapse after an event within which you are able to sue for it is 3 years. But I think if you are a child when the event happens the time may not start to run until you turn 18, hence allowing three years after that.

Ah, OK, that makes sense.

But where the hell do you keep it all? And for twenty years? It would do my head in. What if you stop being a childminder? Could you just send it all to OFSTED?

I was told during inspection, when a mindee has moved stuff still needs to be kept so a paper trail could be followed

i think it is for abuse cases etc.

I scan everything onto a external hard drive which, I keep all my Childminding business on, and then vacuum pack at the end of year all hard copies and bung them in the loft.

As I have a change of children most years and have been doing this since 1979 Im surprised my lost hasn't come though.

God that is longer than tax stuff.

shosha I am in awe!

mine is all boxed up in the loft with childs names and dates on the outside of the box

boxes only go into the loft 12mths after they leave as its a faf if you need to get info for tax credits etc