variation apllication, might need to do one but

[eleanorsmum]

I have had a few enquiries for july/sept starts and for sept, oct, nove and dec i will be over my numbers on a few days. this is what i'd potentially have:

DD - age 3.10, nursery every afternoon till xmas then from jan all day every day in school so will be an over 5 in my numbers

M1 - aged 15mths now, full time place

M2 - aged 20mths now, but heres where the issue is. this is a family friends lo, mum is a part time teacher and doesn't know her new timetable till july, currently does three days a week, tues wed thurs. her timetable could change to any other days! so in reality i am keeping a full time space for her.
now my enquiry who was very keen would like 4 days a week until xmas (then full time) so potentially i would be over my numbers but i won't know which days are going to be my issues until july! this is a baby who will be six months in july.

does any of this make sense! question is when and how do i apply for a variation? help please!

The problem is that Ofsted do not grant variations for new business. Variations are only granted for "continuity of care" and for new siblings of existing mindees.

So if the baby was a sibling of a mindee already in your care it would be continuity of care to keep the siblings together with the same childcarer.

If the baby was already in your care when M2's parents request a change in their contracted hours then it would be continuity of care for M2 that you are asking a variation for, to keep this child with the same childminder all week and avoid the disruption of moving to a new carer.

So its catch 22, the baby's family won't want to start settling in without the assurance of the variation but your chances of a variation are far higher if all the children affected are existing, long-term mindees.

The only way forward I can see, if baby's family will go along with it is this. If baby has a 4 or 5 day contract from Jan 09 with settling in dates to be confirmed, between now and Dec. (ie the hours M2 doesn't need). Then when you get M2's hours apply for a variation to accommodate M2's changing hours, giving details of the other 3 children who will be present. But this may not suit the baby's family, if they can't make arrangements for the other days in the event you don't get the variation.

Sooooo frustrating. I've lost potential work through similar circumstances. I just wish they'd count as an over five/older child when they first join the reception class. Would make life so much easier!

erm...> id be inclind to say your exisiting mindee needs more hours/days, letting them assume you other space is already taken??...cough>
(not saying do it, but youve got to work round them some how!)