I've been leaving DD with this woman since she was 3.5 months old. She has seemed very happy and settled there and gets lots of attention from the CM's daughters and the other children there.
CM seems to me to mind a lot of children but I don't really mind that as it's nice for DD to have other children around.
However during the summer CM took on another baby just 2 days a week. I wasn't pleased as she had originally told me that DD would be the only baby. This baby was 9 months old or so and it was supposed to be a temporary situation to help his mother out in an emergency. But when I asked a while later about this it seemed the arrangement had been made permanent.
I wasn't pleased, but felt that since the care was good and she seemed happy that I'd let it go for the 2 days per week this was happening. I really wish I hadn't now.
Today I arrived up to leave DD and there was another baby girl there! She is to be there mornings, which I assume means every morning. DD is there full time (9-4.30).
I'm really pissed off that she took on another baby without even talking to me about it. The main reason I'm using a CM rather than nursery is that I didn't like the idea of 3 babies to one carer. But that is what she's having now plus toddlers and a couple of school age kids . All in a normal family house.
So I rang the CM association to find out if this was normal and it turns out she shouldn't have more than 1 under 1 unless they are twins or relatives. Now I'm freaking out a little bit. She mustn't even be insured. The CM association recommended I ring the area social workers about it.
I'm in a panic. Should I leave work and leave DD in this situation? I thought this woman was nice and she seemed to care about DD but how could she have taken on so many babies against the guidelines if she was worried about her safety?
Sorry, I know I'm ranting a bit but what would you do? I know I have to find new childcare but I don't know whether I should steer clear of CMs (my preferred option originally) because of this. I hated the only nursery I visited, even though it seemed nice, because I just thought it would be so much nicer for her to be looked after by one minder in a home environment with older children.