Childminder has left DH and continues to use family home as setting

[Eastie77Returns]

Feels like if it's not one thing, it's another. We moved house last year and the only stress free aspect of these difficult 12 months turned out to be finding childcare. We were lucky enough to quickly find a lovely CM who lives very close to our house and DC's school and provides wraparound care. Her children also attend the school so she was happy to do the school pick up.

Over the weekend she called and informed me she has split from her husband. She has moved out of the house but will be working from the house during her working hours, arriving at 7.30am for her first mindee and remaining there until the last leaves at 6pm.

I'm unsure if we should continue with this setting. She hasn't left due to DV or abuse and her DC still live in the family home. Long story short but from the info she has shared, she has been seeing another man.

My concern is I'm wondering if her insurance is still valid as her current place of residence (I believe she is staying with her mum) has changed and she is not planning to inform her insurer. She is currently looking for somewhere to rent but the family home will continue to be the childcare setting. Can any CM's advise as I'm not sure how insurance works? Her DH works from home so I am also concerned about their personal issues spilling over to her working day.

It sounds like the childminder hasn’t moved out as such, she is staying with her mum whilst she looks for somewhere else to live. The childminder will still be registered at her home address, she may just not sleeping there at the moment. I don’t know the full situation so it’s hard to say. If it all happened over the weekend, has she fully moved out or is she just staying with family a little while?

In regards to the relationship spilling over I would have a gentle chat with her. My DH sometimes works from home however we don’t see him at all whilst he does, occasionally he may float down to get some lunch but usually he does that whilst I’m out with the children. It’s hard for me to say as obviously I don’t know the full situation however if it was me personally I would have a chat with the childminder.

Yes she's fine, it just has to be a residential dwelling, doesn't necessarily need to be hers although I agree it sounds like she doesnstill live there but is giving them both some space.

People separate all the time, no need to assume it will suddenly turn abusive.

I think she has fully moved out. She mentioned she will be getting the rest of her stuff and moving it into her mum’s garage. She is looking for somewhere else to live. I assume the marriage is over due to the affair.

DP thinks we need to start looking for another CM because realistically her DH is not going to allow her to run her business from the house long term. The house is his, they met and married abroad after he’d already bought it and she moved in when she came to the U.K.

Have an honest chat with her and see what her plans are. If she's hoping to stay in the local area it might be worth waiting rather than disrupt your child.
Do you like her/have any other concerns? If not then try to support her through this by not taking away her income. She's been transparent with you so I don't think she would hide anything.
Legally it's fine.

It is perfectly fine for her to run her childminding business from an address she doesn't live at, as long as the address is registered as her place of work.

Whether you wish to look for an alternative childcare setting because of the new arrangement is entirely up to you. She may move to another local address and move her business there too, in time. The split may be amicable enough for her to work from his house while she sorts another address. Or it might not. Up to you whether you hang around to find out!

She is fine to carry on working from there. When she finds somewhere to live she needs to risk assess make safe and inform Ofsted. When I moved I did it on Friday and was working again on Tuesday

I can't understand why you'd even think of finding a new Cm (if you even can). You said she's been brilliant.

if she hadn't told you, you'd probably not have even noticed.

where she sleeps is her business.

You don't know what's happening with their family home, she can't be sure yet. He may have owned it pre marriage, but unless that was 'ring fenced' it could still be a joint asset.

she's been great, I think you should support her through all the changes in her personal life and see where she ends up.

I don’t have any concerns about her care of the DC and they are happy in her setting. DP is not overly keen. He thinks she overshares information about her personal life (we probably know more than we should about her marriage) and she has been tearful when he’s picked up the DC on a couple of occasions which he thinks has unsettled them.

With your first post I wouldn't have thought to look for a new childminder. However with the addition that she has been tearful when the children have been collected maybe I would think to look elsewhere. I would also be concerned that my children would be exposed to arguments in the house (if the husband is present through the day).