Thinking of becoming a child minder......Advice needed

[MrsBick]

Hi there,
I was looking into becoming a child minder so i can stay at home with my son (7mths ols). We need the extra money and it would be a bit pointless for me to go back to work adn my wages to go straight to someone else to take care of him, plus i really want to be there as he grows up.
How do you become a child minder? And [if it's not too rude a question] how much can you earn (hourly rate?) ?
TIA.

First you need to go on a pre-registration meeting. That should tell you all you need to know about how to register and help you decide if its the right decision for you. Ask if there is a "buddy scheme" in your area (where you can be allocated an experienced childminder to support you through the registration system) and about start-up grants.

Find your Children's Information Service (CIS) at www.childcarelink.org.uk and they'll be able to tell you how to get booked on the meeting. Also you can use the site to look at local childminder's listings and their charges, fees vary depending where you live.