Childminder with just one 'customer' alongside own children?

[PensionPuzzle]

Looking for advice/realism about an idea that has occured to me today. I am a qualified teacher who has been made redundant, with a second child due imminently. Previously I have thought about going back to work in a support staff role, we are fortunate that we don't need me to be on a full time teacher salary any more so there is some flex in what I do going forward but I do want to do work of some sort. I enjoy working in education but my experience is with older kids although I do have some SEN experience and some fairly unusual experience and qualifications relating to outdoor learning and suchlike.

I have taken DD1 out of nursery for the time being and the teacher in me is enjoying getting stuck into learning about EYFS and looking for some loose structure in our days. Then it occurred to me- if I set up as a childminder could I have one child to look after alongside my own? I haven't looked at the figures as suspect might not be viable with insurance and DBS costs etc but I don't want to hit the spreadsheet if it's a non-starter anyway.

The eldest will be going to preschool 15 hours a week (2.5 short days) from Sept on funded hours but I would like to keep the younger one at home rather than using childcare until she too gets her funded hours. Would it be unworkable to have one mindee alongside my own two? I think I would offer term time only plus teacher days to attract a teacher's child as we would like to have family time to ourselves during the preschool holidays (and maybe offer the odd extra day here and there by arrangement). As my own children get bigger this could evolve into a different pattern but I just wondered if it was a ridiculous idea to look into this further? Would it be really weird and off-putting for your child to be the only actual mindee in a setting?

This. I sent DC twice to childminders who had their own small kids at home - never again something I would consider. Both times it was very clear they had little interest in other children, just used childminding as a way to stay home with their own. Have made some excellent experiences with other childminders with much older children (teenagers) and Dc enjoyed her time there.

Interesting. I sent mine to CM who had her own at home and did wraparound care when he started school. She was amazing and we only left because they were moving away.

Sent him to another who had older children of her own (youngest was ds age) and did LO throughout the day and wraparound care.

She was awful. Treated ds like a nuisance and we stayed for just 6 weeks.

He then went to a very lovely local wraparound care facility that collected from all local schools and ran out of a centre.

If financially it's viable I'd use someone like you. A teacher obviously had good training and likes being around children. That would be a selling point for me. That and term times only as I'm also education staff!

Hi all, sorry for not replying sooner, thought might be getting somewhere with baby 2 arriving, but nope! It's so interesting to read the different perspectives on this. I hadn't thought about playgroup/baby group as an alternative, we are blessed with a huge amount round here now so I'd have to look at the market carefully but I know where my mum lives nearby there is very little by comparison (been looking for something for small babies to take number 2 to by herself while mum looks after number 1 at her house for novelty value, but not a great deal out there in her town).

With that in mind I guess it makes sense to get my DBS sorted now it's not attached to a school as it always has been previously, and I can redo my food hygiene and safeguarding too as they will be useful for all sorts of things- I still have the idea of doing support staff in schools as another option so having a few extras on my CV won't hurt. Then if childminding ends up looking the best bet I can do the course and the registration etc for that, I can see that it might be quite a long drawn out process and I must admit some of these replies have made me think I should wait until number 2 is a little older as she won't even be one when number 1 starts her preschool place, I need to find a sweet spot to start that won't impact DD1 starting school as well I think.

At least I'll soon have lots of night feed times to sit and ponder over things 😂

Thanks again for all the detailed replies, really appreciate it.

The mother of a classmate of DS does this - she just has one toddler mindee. We are in London so she gets £60 a day, which is topping up her DH's income.

She basically was happy at home with a young child, wanted to be home for her DS, and also likes having company for him. It works out really well, although they will all be devastated when the little one goes off to school.

Mine went to a childminder that had her own children, where mine was the only mindee. Childminder had one at primary school and a baby. Her baby and mine were the same age - one day apart- and it worked perfectly. We felt like one of the family.

As a teacher you may also be attractive to the home ed community. There’s a real need for home ed compatible childcare.

Some further things to consider:

-You should also apply for your husbands dbs now as that can take time depending which police area you are in.

-despite you being a teacher, you will need to do a childcare in the home course either with packet or your LA. I am level four Montessori trained and breezed through the course with a newborn - felt like a waste of money but it was required

• only once you have your dbs and the course finished and health check, can you then submit your application to Ofsted. You then need a pre registration visit. So think about when you'd realistically like to start work - next September is likely? Also note that you're only allowed one baby under one year old

I also started out when my second son was just turned a year old. He and my mindee were inseparable. It was long hours for one child's fee though. Four years later and I have a waiting list and bringing in a full time wage even though I work four day weeks term time and part time in the holidays.

Don't forget you'll also have accounts to do!

Independent Childminder's is a good group on Facebook to join for advice and regular updates

What’s the market for nannies like where you live? It’s much easier to set up as a nanny than a childminder. If there is demand and your salary expectations low enough, you may find a family willing for you to take your baby during the day and have your older child in pre-school. Essentially you’d be looking for a family which mirrors yours (teacher parents) who would pay you to look after their children and yours together at their house.

I know childminders that's do just term time (for teachers) and they ate sought after

I know childminders that had just one child when starting off, that's enough as it's hard work

Remember all your costs are tax deductible so you need to factor in earning enough to do that and childminders get a lot of tax breaks!

Look at wrap around care , especially for school nurseries as those children can't attend school provision

Lots of childminders have their own children and many do it to be at home with their own children whilst earning.
Mine had two children and that was fine by me as she was lovely.

Good luck!

@Applesandpears23

As a teacher you may also be attractive to the home ed community. There’s a real need for home ed compatible childcare.

More things to think about! Hadn't considered nannying so will look into that, not something I know a thing about at present!

This is interesting too @applesandpears23 I don't have much knowledge of home schooling either, other than working with one family who home schooled for the 'straightforward' subjects and then organised opportunities for their kids to go and do option type subjects in various settings. I offered a unique subject locally so she was enrolled into my class and attended for those lessons plus extra curriculars and has gone on to study and qualify at the highest level for that vocation so it really was a lovely experience for all.

In this case would it be for homeschooling parents that need a bit of childcare for them to work, or that the childminder offers something curricular as part of a 'childcare' session so more like an activity with a tiny ratio? I have considered carrying on with my strange subject and offering it to groups such as homeschoolers if I can find a local site, it's a pretty big if unfortunately. But I hadn't thought of linking home ed with childcare needs, intriguing...

Firstly be aware that in the UK we call it home education not home school. This will help you find and be accepted by the home ed community. Secondly, both sound good. Lots of people would love some flexible childcare so they can work, be with younger children or just have a break. But ideally that childcare would also have educational benefit for the child. In my area people pay £15 for a 3 hour drop off sports session or £35/£40 for 5 hour drop off forest school or team building type activities with other home ed children.

Ah thanks @applesandpears23 see what I mean about not knowing much! I think I must have that other term seared into my brain after the last 18 months!

I'll have a think about how I could adapt my weird subject and skills to younger children as I think it would be hard to do justice to working with the slightly older ones whilst my kids are small and at home part of the time but it's definitely something to build towards. I'm starting to think this could be quite an exciting way to slowly build up to doing something unusual when my own kids are at school that could run in tandem with doing some wraparound care 🤔

If youre only going to have one other child, then why not do nanny-share instead? Becoming a child-minder is quite an investment, and with only one child it just wouldn't make any sense financially