Looking to become childminder would like some advice please...

[Nemoandthefishes]

Have been talking to a lady who is a childminder but giving up to go back into accountancy now that her daughter is going into seniors. It is something I have thought about doing but with having had 3 children under 5 myself I was unable to however my eldest is 5 in october and my middle one will possibly be starting school nursery in january so idea of being a childminder is at the forefront of my mind.
Anyways is there any tips or things you would suggest in getting prepared?? I have contacted council about the pre registration briefing and have been looking and some site suggest doing diploma in home based childcare?? Also looking about childrens and infants first aid. I did a course on this when ds was 6mths but he is nearly 5 so would assume would have to redo it.What else do I need to look at/be able to do?
Also been told £25 a day or £4 an hour for before/after school is average does that sound right as £4 an hour sounded a lot to me.

I have been childminding for 6 years and I really enjoy it. I am currently doing the Diploma in Home-Based Childcare, and would say that is worth doing.

First aid is compulsory and has to be done every three years. Although this is funded.

We have EYFS coming in from Sept 08, so a course on this would be helpful.

I charge between £3.75 and £4.00 an hour, but any new mindee's that start, I am plannig to charge £4.50, with all the cost rises recently. Those prices are normal for my area.

It sounds like you've looked in to well. You will get lot's of info at the breifing session, and you will probably be able to decide if it is for you after that.

Good Luck.

thanks love2bake

I am a childminder, just give it a thought, yes it is a great job with great rewards from the children BUT here are a few bad points you should be aware of.
I havnt had these problems but lots of my friends on my childminding forum have. this is what they say.

1. some parents pay you late.
2. you get taken advantage of and arnt appreciated by most parents.
3. some parents think that you owe them everything, they barge into your house as if they own it, some moan when you book time off to be with YOUR own children when its your childs birthday even to they have had plenty of notice( i am sure they book the day off work to be with their kids!).
4. You have to do the cleaning after everyone has gone home as you arnt allowed to do it when they are around

5 get used to late nights with all the paper work and planning. 6 get used to early mornings aswell. 7 the wear and tear on your house will be immense( unless you have a playroom)

1. Your house will get dirty quicker than normal so look forward to more cleaning.

sorry if this sounds awful, that side is. but the children are a joy and give you so much in return. oh and you need lots and lots of patience.

Have a look at what other childminders (and nurseries) charge in your area... enter your postcode here

Also let us know on here your rough location, as there may be childminders on here near you, who can give you more local info.

A concern I would have is how many children you would be permitted to care for - given that you would have 2 under 5's yourself, plus a 5 year old. Have you considered how many children you would have to care for, to make a reasonable income? I expect Ofsted (regulator in England) will permit you to only care for 1 minded child under 5 plus 2 children aged 5-8 years at a maximum. You won't be limited as such for over 8's, but you may not want many, if any at all, at least until you have more experience of caring for other people's children.

In my area (West Surrey/East Berkshire), £5 per hour seems quite typical for childminders.

For before/after school care - consider having a minimum charge, as some parents may only want an hour.

There are lots of message threads on here regarding childminding, including comments from parents who use childminders and childminders themselves. It can be interesting reading, as you will find out about some of the common issues that arise.

thanks nannynick and momof2boys

nannynick I am in liverpool area and I know that can only take one full time and 2 after school but to be honest that works fine for me as I can still see my own children and be the one to pick them up and drop them off while earning some money.

momof2boys I am sure the wear and tear cant be much more than the house already experiences with having my own 3 children.arly mornings and late nights being my speciality Can appreciate about the parents though and that is one thing I am a bit unsure about I can handle children in any manner but parents..they are a whole other kettle of fish..lol