How can you tell if a childminder is good?

[Sunsetred]

Hello, I have decided to go down the childminder route for my 17 month old daughter. The nursery didn't work out and I think a smaller setting would be better. I have arranged to visit a childminder on Friday. She is registered with Ofsted and has a 'good' rating. I am looking for some advice on what questions to ask or can give any tips on how to assess the setting etc when we visit. How will I be able to tell if the childminder is good?

I am a strong believer in gut feeling
But I also asked around

Questions you might think about......
Food - what is provided / when do they eat / if needed anything about allergies or religious or moral dietary restrictions

Other children - who else does she look after

School runs - does the timing fit with your drop off / collections.... what time to they go out / return (ie, is there a lot of sitting in car / waiting around for your little one, on these).

Getting out and about..... how do they travel ? (Walk / car / bus)... what is the situation about car seats? (Does she provide / is it the right size for your child.... or do you have to faff about swapping over every day?)

What groups does she go to ? How often?

Does she take your child to the shops / post office errands etc (I really liked when CMers did this with my dc,as it seems 'home from home' and gets them out and about seeing different things every day, but I have seen posters on here horrified that a CMer might dare to do normal 'parent type things' with their mindees)

If she is one for bigger trips - does that cost extra or all included

Are there animals in the house (and again, some like this, others worry the dog might hurt their dc for example) ?

What other adults are in the house, or might be in the house? Are they all dbs checked? Does she always work alone or is there an asst? Or do any other adults in the house sometimes step in (eg so a baby can remain asleep whilst childminder goes to collect older children on a rainy day)? (Again, this might be seen as positive or negative by different people).

Does she have any rules or routines about TV or other screen time ?

Cost
What she provides / includes in that and what else you need to bring / provide

Communication - how do they 'hand over' / is there a home: Childminder book

I would watch how the children are in the setting - are they confident and happy? Do they go to the childminder with toys/talk to her easily?

A childminder will sometimes have parent references or will allow you to meet/contact parents. I would like to speak to parents or see their reviews online.

Gut feeling unfortunately.

I did find it easier with my second child because I had the first in primary so I could get to know other mums well and some were childminders.

I'm moving soon and looking for a minder in the new area. I've just visited one who said all the right things but had to give in that all the toys my child would have played with were broken. It didn't feel right so it was a no .

Find out how long the childminder has been doing the job, how many children she has herself and their approximate ages. You may prefer to use one with older children as less risk of her having to have days off due to their sickness.

The most thing important is if you like the setting.

So just by looking is her home and garden big enough for you?

On the walk/drive to her house can you see her car just by looking? Is it a model and make known for its safety? Does it have damage to the outside?

Is her home walkable to a playground and/or green space?

If she has pets do you like them and are they friendly without being over friendly?

If you take your daughter with you - which you should - does she like the CM instinctively? If she doesn't then don't send your daughter to that CM.

I wouldn't bother about asking about other mindees as CM often have other children for a couple of days per week.

In regards to activities not all groups are back up and due to Covid the CM may not take their mindees into shops but still ask her what she does on a typical day. For example mine takes them out everyday often to a local playground and green space but can be further a field.

In regards to screen time I didn't ask because if they are out at least half the day and often more, they have less time for screen time. The TV will also be on if there are after school pick up kids. However it doesn't mean your child will be watching it. Mine is often playing with an after school kid when I pick her up.

Ask how many schools she does the school run for. (It's worth you looking up all the local schools before you visit near her house if you don't know them.) For example nearly all CMs in my area do one school so they walk to it, but there are a few who do more so drive around. You rather not have your child go to the latter as they will spend too long doing it every day.

Just try and have a general chitchat.

@Kite22
The only people a child should be left with are registered assistants and only for up to 2 hours If they have first aid other adults in the house can not step in

The pacey website has a useful list of questions to ask.
I would see a few childminders and see who you feel most comfortable with, who responds to and relates well with your child. Read their Ofsted report which will tell you who lives in the house as well as what was seen on inspection. Ask about training....minimum requirements are home based childcare first aid (3 yearly) and safegaurding but most committed childminders do a lot more.

@jannier - yes, I know.
A friend who is a childminder's dh was registered as an assistant, and sometimes when he was working from home (which was quite often), either he would stay at home with the little mindee when she did the school run, or he would go and pick up his dd and the older mindee, whilst she stayed at home - especially if it was rainy.

I guess if there were an odd occasion when she had a hospital appt or something, it would be great if there were a back up rather than the parents having to take 1/2 day or a day off work.

@RedMarauder The most thing important is if you like the setting

Err no..

The most important thing is how the minder speaks to the children. Is she interested, kind, engaged?

Are the kids relaxed? Does she pay attention to your child?

Look at the setting, is it clean, tidy, well cared for. How are the children in that setting, relaxed, happy, engaged? Can you ask to speak to another parent? What are pickups and drop-offs like? How much feedback does the childminder give?

I looked at several childminders when DS was two. With several of them, he wouldn't let go of my hand, with the one we eventually chose, he toddled in, sat on the floor and joined in, without any hesitation. He was right, Our childminder was experienced, kind, resourceful and supportive. Life without her would have been much harder.

Thanks everyone for your very informative comments. I wouldn't have thought to ask or look out for half those things! I definitely feel more ready now. I will take my daughter with me tomorrow for the visit. The MIL wants to come too so that shall be interesting 🤨

Does the cm have her own children, what are are they & how does she juggle their needs around those of her mindees.

How much of the house do the mindees get to use? What access is there to an outside area and what is there for them to do in the outside area?

Does she do arts & crafts with the children? Or does she not like mess? With the cm we chose, you could instantly tell she was creative from various things around her house. Another cm referred to the fact she took them to a child art group (at extra cost) as she didn't like mess in the house.

Thinking about the slightly longer term, does she take the free funding? Does she do pre-school drop off & pick up and, if so, which pre-schools?

How many other mindees does she have? How old are they? What are there routines? I didn't want a situation where I dropped my DC odd, they were taken on a school & pre-school run, the home for a baby to nap, then out for a pre-school pick up, then lunch, her nap and then school pick up as it left no time to do anything.

Does she have pets?

This is a list of things to discuss etc

Quality of childcare provided
Food/drink on offer
Activities that the kids like (arts/crafts and so on)
Location
Areas that are forbidden etc
Her own kids if any
Pets
Safety (this is a biggie)
Cleanliness and hygiene
Tone of voice
Her mindset
First aid qualification
Experience level
Communication book
Sickness policies and the like
Reviews by other parents who use her too