Hello lovely childminders, could you talk to me about early years funding please?

[GhoulsAreLoud]

I'm trying to find out if I could use the early years funding when DD reaches 3 for a childminder.

I'm going to ask her later today, but I may have to look for another c/m anyway as I'm going to be on M/L until just before DD turns 3.

What exactly should I be looking for? Some websites say they should be a member of a childmindnig network. My c/m at the moment is a member of the NCMA, would she qualify?

Thanks!

(p.s I am going to ask her this when I pick DD up later!)

If your cm is a member of an accredited NCMA network & she has been approved as aa accredited cm then she could draw down the funding, but otherwise she will be unable to unfortunately.

Not all council areas support voucher accredited funding and the voucher payments are quite often less than a CM's hourly rate so not all minders will take them anyway as in effect they will earn less IYSWIM. But some do so worth asking your own CM.

In our area there are very few accredited childminders. This is because it is a lot of extra work and you tend to actually be worse off, as the funding rate is less than our rates. I looked into doing it a few years ago but decided very firmly against it. At that time you had to produce accounts to show where the funding had been spent, to make sure you weren't profiting from it (no chance of that). That may have changed now though. Are there any accredited CM here who can comment?

Thanks all.

Not looking good then