can you come over here and tell me if this is a good idea please?

[SparkyFartDust]

I currently work as an Speech & Lang therapist.

I have 2 young DC's.

I love my job and really enjoy working with children. However, I desperately miss my own when at work.

If I give up work and become a childminder will I

a. make enough money to pay bills etc (need to clear £24 K which will be a drop in salary but ? worth it if means can see more of my family)

b.get work...is the recession effecting this area?

what do you think/ any advice?

Here, here!

You sound as though you have the makings of a CM

With your experience and motivation, why shouldn't you do something that would allow you to spend more time with your DC's, IF it can make you the £ you need?

ah thanks Simple what a lovely thing to say!

TBH you post answers all your questions doesn't it?

You need to work out how to start - could you do weekends childminding until you can get some clientèle (sp?) built up - as you are prepared to wokr weekends anyway?

Can you survive on only your DH's income - assuming that you have no childcare costs (as you will be staying at home, thus can do the childcare yourself)?
Do you have some savings, should a major unexpected expense come up? (Things like: New washing machine needed... suspension springs on the car... broken window)

If so, then you could try it for a year and see how it goes. Avoid spending too much money on the business, just get essentials. Use your existing children's toys, home safety items - look at toy libraries for renting larger toy items, hunt around car boot sales for things like stair-gates, a cot perhaps, also look on FreeCycle.

Your SALT work can then be in addition - you could look at that money as being your personal spending money for treats, to bump up the savings, to be saved towards your personal pension etc.

great idea KatyMac.

I have expressed interest in 'coffee morning info sessions' so hope to get ball rolling soon.

Can I ask basic question?

If I aim to start CM'ing in Sept. Could I hold down my current post as SLT till then (i.e resign in Aug) and train in the evenings/ weekends till then or not?

thanks in advance.

Oh and remember to put money into a savings account to pay the Tax bill.

Some councils run evening courses, others only do daytime. So it will depend on your local council. Contact your local Families Information Service and ask about becoming a childminder - they will then tell you when the next briefing session is being held.
Registration itself can take a good 12 weeks - it certainly did when I worked at Ofsted back in 2003/04. Can't imagine the process has changed a lot over the years.

& it an take 5 or 6 months to register

The registration inspection will occur during the daytime (Mon-Fri), don't think Ofsted will schedule that for an evening. So you will need to be able to take a day off work at quite short notice for that.

~~ ~~

Anyone recently register as a childminder? How much advance notice did you get for your registration visit?

Nannynick- again fantastic advice there.

No, couldn't get by on DP's wage. However, yes am fortunate to have modest savings which (although dwindling rapidly as have had many 'unexpected expences in recent years!) could serve as threadbare safety net.

Lukily I do have most of the gear. 2 cots/ highchairs and toys & books in abundance/ safely equip. So hoping set up won't be crippling.

I can't tell you how grateful I am for this input- so much practical and thought provoking help. thanks.

right. Will find out more specific info at coffee morning.

I can arrange to be here for visit.

If you get sorted email me & I'll send you all my docs so you don't need to write your own

If you want to pop to sunny norfolk I can go through it all with you (at a weekend)

awww KatyMac- thank you! thank you!!!

I will do that, very kind of you.

so glad I posted here this evening, and hope to be joining you here soon.

If it was me, I wouldn't be going into this without a safety net of £6,000. That's what I need to cover essential bills for 6 months.
Everyone has their own attitude towards risk... you need to think about your families attitude towards it.

Start looking into childminding... find out as much as you can. Plan ahead - create a financial safey net. See what work you can get as a SALT for weekends now... is there demand for that? You could perhaps start by doing 1 weekend a month.

Talk with your DH and children about becoming a childminder... it's a family decision as it effects all of them. Your DH will need a CRB check - many applications can fail at this stage, as someones partner may not have told them everything about their past... so do have that chat with your DH... is there anything that may come up?
Talk to your children about sharing their toys with other children, sharing their mum with other children. Talk to DH about changes to the home... how it will become a place full of children the majority of the day - can he cope with that? Can he cope with the mess that can make?

I'm sure KatyMac can think of more things you need to discuss with your DH/family.

Think about your home... can parents park outside to pick children up? Do you have a garden... is there a local park within short walking distance. Look at local schools, pre-schools... which could you collect from, what are the walk routes, would you drive?

nannynick- I like your approach- very, very practical and need to think this way myself over next few months.

glad to say DP is fantastically suportive and fine re CRB.

Your point about raising things with my DC's is a really pertinant one- you are right that this needs careful thought.

I've learnt the hard way, having been made redundant from a well paid Sales, Marketing & IT job (it was a small firm).
While I've been involved in childcare one way or another since I was a teenager, until the past 6 years it has been a side-line rather than my main job. It is wonderful to now have it as my main job, but I am still not earning as much as I was back in 2002/03.

I have been reading all this with interest as I am in a similar situation. Katymac - would you be so kind as to let me have copies of your docs too?? I have my briefing session coming up and I'm excited at the prospect of CM'ing. TIA.