Childminding for children over 12

[Harriette]

Can someone tell me how common it is for children to still require childminding after 12 years old. I work full-time and when my daughter changes school next year I still would like to have her minded by a childminder as i feel being a latch key kid would be too much of a challenge for her. (she has aspergers). Even if your child hasnt got a special need I would have thought a lot of people wouldnt be happy about their child coming home and minding themselves till their parents get home from work. I would like to know about other peoples experiences.

I think you can get help from tax credits untill they are 14 (depending on income), I have looked after children of this age, most just call me to say they are going to a club, or do homework at the table or upstairs so they can eat tea and watch TV when they get home. I charge less as they make their own way to my home. Diring holidays I charge the same as they can be harder to entertain than a 3 year old

Have you thought about hiring someone to look after your dd in your own home? When I was doing my A Levels I looked after a girl after school until her mum came home from work. It was good for the girl as she could relax in her own home. I also collected her from school as she had SN and preferred someone to walk with her.

I have certainly minded children over the age of 12 - the children themselves are not necessarily a big fan of having a childminder, but tend to think that they are here as "helpers" (which makes it OK apparently!)

Think muffin is onto something there - do you know any older teens live closeby and are at the same school who could "babysit"?

I regularly care for children over 12. They have tended to grow up with me which makes it easier but i have taken on older children from scratch too.

I think most children are too young at 12 to be left at home alone all day - a couple of hours perhaps would be fine. It does of course depend upon the maturity of the child themselves though.

I don't know any suitable teens at the moment but it might be an idea to consider a suitable teenager to babysit, but it would have to be someone very reliable! Its good to hear that there are childminders who take older children. Does anyone know if it is more ussual for older children to make their own way to the childminders house or can you still ask that they are picked up?

You can claim the childcare element for any child up to:
?
the Saturday following 1 September after their 15th birthday or
?
the Saturday following 1 September after their 16th birthday if
?
the child is on the blind register or came off it in the
last 28 weeks or
?
you receive Disability Living Allowance for that child.

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Plenty of CM operate what's referred to as "Port of Call" - whereby a teenager has somewhere to go, get there on their own steam, drop their bags, get a snack, do homework, then (with permission of course from parents) can go out with friends or to library etc and know there is someone there for them to go to when/if needed.

Harriette - I have collected older ones from school, and others have walked from their secondary school to the primary school (same village) where I am collecting younger children, to then drive back to my house.

I do have experience of children with special needs, including Aspergers - some of those children would be fine making their own way home or to a CM, others would not.

If you feel your daughter needs collecting from school, just ask the CMs. The only hiccup you might have is CMs who have other children to collect from a primary school might not be able to accommodate 2 schools.