Childminders - numbers?

[SoftFroggie]

scuse no caps.

i've just spoken to a local childminder. i asked (amongst other things) how many kids she could take at a time. she explained that it depended on ages, but from what she said it was about 10 - 4 under 5yrs and 6 over 5. she does a lot of after-school / holidays. She works on her own. Could someone pls confirm / clarify? and how do you care for so many at once? Am wondering whether my baby and challenging 2.5yr old wld get much attention!

softfroggie - as far as i am aware and i am a childminder, that no childminder can care for any more than 6 children aged between 0-8. We are allowed 3 under 5 of which only one is allowed to be under 1, and 3 between ages 5 and 8, we are allowed a few over 8 as well as long as it doesn't interfere with looking after the younger ones.
If she has children of her own these have to be included in the numbers, meaning if she has 2 children herself, then they are counted in the 6 allowed.
Hope that makes sense. Is she definitly registered??
Unless she has written proof of her numbers, which if she is registered she will i would get it checked out with Ofsted. Her certificate from them should have her allowed numbers on it.
Or if you're really not sure i would ring ofsted and ask them what the numbers are for someone in her situation, you don't have to name names.
I was going to say the only way she could have these numbers is if she works with someone else, but if she doesn't then i would get it looking into, you're childs care is top priority.

I would second the bit about 3 under 5's & usually no more than 1 under 1, although special permission can be given to experienced minders for 2 under 1's & rarely 4 under 5's but this is only for siblings of existing minded children & the minder needs to specify the names of the children, the times of the extra child & when the eldest starts full time school, then the registration will revert to 3 under ones. Also you are not allowed to exceed your total registered number,i.e. if you are registered for 6 under 8's (3 of each age range & have 4 under 5's then you can only have 2 5 to 8's at these times). With regards to older children as said as long as they don't infringe on the care of the younger children you can care for up to an overall total of 10 children (including your registered under 8's), this is dependent on your public liability insurance. The minders own children are taken into account in registered numbers if they are under 8, but not under the public liability insurance,e.g. my 2 dd's are both over 8 and therefore I could in theory have a further 10 children after school or in the holidays. I don't, but do regularly walk 10 children home from school including my 2 dd's, I am fortunate though as 2 of the children go as soon as I get home or just after, mum is usually waiting for us to get home, another pair of sisters either get dropped off as I pass their house or go within 3/4 hour, and another 3yr old mostly goes by 4.30. You might think I'm mad, & I probably am (lol), but I have been minding for 10 years & have run Cub Scout Packs of 20 to 36 cubs in the past over a period of 16 years.If these children didn't go so early I might not have so many after schoolers as entertaining 10 children for an extended time ranging in age from under 1 to nearly 12 is complicated on occasions.

Soft Froggie what you need to remember is that during the school day your minder would only have at the very most 2 other children with her. It would depend on the age of the other child/children & how well your 2.5 yr old got on with it/them as to whether she would consider your child demanding or not. (probably find it would be angel for the minder)The times you need to consider is the after school & school holidays, then you would need to know how she organises her day, what sort of care she provides & what activities, outings etc she organises.

Oh yes, she's registered, been CM for donkey's years, very well regarded in the village.

It might have been she said "6 under 8" and I thought that was in addition to the under 5s, and I added the 3 under 5's to the baby. That makes more sense. Not sure how many over 8s she has - she may well have a few as she does the after-school stuff.

Her kids are grown up.

Just to add that her certificate would show the children that she is allowed on top of her own (I know hers are grown up but I wanted to clarify this for anyone else reading it) Although hers are include in Ofsteds permissable numbers.

SF - could it be that that's how many she has in total, not at the same time? She could have more if they are parttime iyswim

Thinking about it, I'm sure I was mistakenly adding the different age groups up, as I wrote before, rather than the 6 under 8 including the under 5s. Thanks for clarifying that.

And BH: v gd point about it being after school and hols that have the extra kids. DS1 is growing out of his challenging phase, so hopefully will be a bit easier in Oct when I return to work.

I am unable to register at the moment due to building work being carried on for the childcare but I will be fully registered, as will my partner and we will also have a childminding assistant twice a week...any ideas of the numbers we'd be allowed?

I only really want to cater for under 5's as long term we intend to open a nursery so really want to concentrate on this age range.

We have a 5 month old baby that would be included in the numbers...any ideas?

3 under 5's, only one under 1
3 between 5 and 8

and as many over 8s as she wants

think she's lying personally

AJ yes your baby will be included in the numbers

My DS is now 10 and when he was under 8 was included now he isn't

BUT I only have 1 or 2 mindees at a time anyway

But as we are a couple won't we be allowed more between us...I am hoping for at least one under 1 (as well as our own) and three under 5's...fingers crossed having two of us will count for something.

that's the numbers PER registered childminder so if you are both registered just double them

and yes your own child counts

Artyjoe

DH & I can have 6under 5 of which 3 maybe under 1 (because we have twins - this may also be allowed for continuity of care) - normally it is one under one each (iyswim)
We also have an assistant regularily and we can have 9 under 5 with still three under one - when she is there
HTH - CAT me if you need more info about large scale C/Ming