People still not aware of the childminding rules?

[Ripeberry]

Hi, just been on the AIBU thread and its amazing how many people still don't realise that if they look after a friend's child for more than 2hrs a day then they are breaking the law.
It seems quite common for friends to have each others kids for the whole day and return the favour and not think anymore about it.
Why are we busting a gut, trying to become registered?
Just really annoys me as we have to do SO MUCH now this EYFS is coming in and potential customers are just doing everyting ad-hoc.

but it's a bit silly if you can't just leave you child with a friend isn't it? my mil babysits alot for me, should she be registered?

God, they are so selfish, helping each other out when they could be paying someone to do it!

Presumably this is if it's done for payment, not just a regular favour for free?
Because either way, it's a huge faff to get yourself registered just to help a mate out.

No MIL is a close relative, we are talking about people who are not related to the child or the familly.
If people want to help each other out THATS FINE as long as you do it in the CHILDs house.
That's all i'm trying to make people aware of.
Because they will be in big trouble if anything goes wrong (god forbid).

Actually lots of people register JUST to help out a friend. There are at least 5 of them on our course our of 16 of us.

Personally I think the state interfering in friends helping each other out is a step way too far. You can't have someone sticking their nose in people's lives like that.

So I can't look after a mate's dc whilst she gets her haircut, if she's gone longer than 2hours, whether I'm paid in money or a returned favour?

So you have to be registered to look after a friends' child in your own home now?

Even if you don't receive payment?

iirc the law only stands if you're paying someone to look after your children.

There is no law that says you're not allowed to look after someone's children as a favour without being registered as a childminder. What rubbish.

If you're paying someone or someone is paying you to look after each other's children then that's one thing. But looking after each other's children to help each other out is frankly nobody else's business.

If something unfortunate happens it's likely to be the least of anyone's worries whether the person looking after them was registered or not. There are some people out there who just can't afford to pay a babysitter everytime they need to do somethign with an older child, etc etc and these friends networks are really a lifesaver.

if that were the case then:

you wouldn't be allowed to have children to your house for a 3 hour birthday party; couldn't have play dates for more than two hours; couldn't pick someone's child up from school as a favour and take them home to your's for tea. And so the list goes on.

If you are paying someone to look after your children then they have to be registered.

But if you're not paying them it's nobody's business but your's.

It's only if you're being paid.

Phew.
Nearly had to become FabioTheCriminalCat there.

What if your mate comes back with a bottle of wine for you? [hopeful]

A favour for a favour never hurt anyone!

It would be different if it was a an ongoing arrangement rather than merely a favour to help each other out.

Apparently it's not allowed. But I gave my friend a bottle of wine when she looked after my son at short notice for a day, and had anyone objected I would have suggested they went ahead and sued me (how bloody ridiculous).

I'm not quite sure how they'd prove that the bottle of wine was in exchange for babysitting my son, rather than being a general good brick of a friend, or for someone's birthday.

Think we have enough red tape in the country tbh.

well how ridiculous would it be if you had to register as a childminder

i looked after dd2s ds for nearly two years

whatever happened to the idea of family friends and community

childminders excelletn but plenty of room for normal informal swap[ing and favours

otherwise it would be ridiculous

actually i am shocked that people would believe it was compulsory to use a childminder

well then frankly if that is the case then the law is stupid! when my friends dad was dying in hospital then i looked after her baby a fair bit and i was happy to do it.

Ripeberry - you do realise that anyone can mind anyone else's children as long as they are not getting paid (or otherwise reimbursed) to do so?

So minding in exchange for minding is ok, agreed you wouldn't have insurance but it's some peoples only option.

Also, childminding between the hours of 6pm and 2am is unregistered so again anyone can do it.

and as far as insurance goes if you have house insurance then you have thrid part liability so that covers an accident to a third part on the premises provided it is social

ie they walk through your patio doors and are injured

Minding for any reward is illegal, so in theory exchanging children, would be reward.

The reason, it is illegal to regularly look after children without being registered is because it is not safe!

Does your Friend have Insurance, first Aid, child protection, do you have a contract, so that you know that she will definitely have your child when she says she will, not change her mind at 7.30 in the morning when you have to be at work for 8, all these things do and have happened with unregistered Childcare.

actually it probably also voers you for injury to burglars in the same circumstances

most people accept the degree of risk involved though as no greater than the child being looked after by themselves

What a strange thread.

My mum has my son regularly. As does my sister. They do it for free, out of love for my son and for me. Is there something wrong with that?

"The reason, it is illegal to regularly look after children without being registered is because it is not safe!"

Bollocks. We're talking one off last minute type favours here - I don;t need a contract if I ring my friend at 8am because - on that day- my childminder's BIL had died so she wasn't available. I don't have first Aid and have been looking after my children for 9 years.