Preparing to start Childminding with my DH

[Sandym3g]

We are both going to be childminders but my DH had to give up his work so he could do the training at the weekends. In his job he had to work the weekends so he had to finish so we could fulfill our dream.

This week we have had our 2nd briefing and start our pfa and icp this weekend.

He has been working hard helping me get the place ready and safe for the childminding.

He phoned to Job Centre Plus today to see if we would be entitled to any benifits in the meantime and although we knew that he wouldn't have any benifits at first(due to him leaving his job on his own terms) because he can't be activly looking for work he can't claim any benifits at all.

I phoned and got the same reply for myself. I can't claim for any benifits either. Seemingly my youngest is too old (13) to be able to claim Income Support.

Fortunatly we have about 1 months worth of money and my uncle has helped by giving us 2 months worth of money. My concern is that if it takes longer than 3 months we will have hardly any money to live on and then we have to get mindees too.

Has anyone got any ideas on how we can econimise or get any money help? I don't want to get a loan if I can help it.

CRB checks on their own can take longer than 3 months I'm afraid.

Why don't you speak to your mortgage company and see if you can reduce your mortgage payments for a while? (assuming you have a mortgage)

Speak to Ofsted and your local authority, to see how quickly they can get the wheels in motion.

Tell him to get his job back asap, what were you thinking it can take 6 months to register and then you are not guaranteed lots of mindees, I looked upon it as extra money for the first year or so and never had full timers, you should register first and then if you get too many enquiries your husband can register as an assistant before needing to register as a childminder in his own right.

The checks are now taking 4-5 months to come through, and also at the moment ncma are doing budget cuts, so the start up grant might not be available to yourselves IF your area had adequate childminders to cover ratios.

Just done my training, and this is the new issue concerning the start up due to funds being budgeted, you will probably need to save about £250, as your not guaranteed for the grant.

Their is also a safeguarding course that you will need to do also, which is another day on top of the ICP and PFA.

Why are you both not actively looking for work? Until you actually start childminding you are available to work. I'm wondering if you have told JobCentre Plus a bit too much information, did they need to know you were on a training course and if so did they realise that training was only x hours a week. If the ICP is completed, then you are available to work all week.

1. See if DH can get his job back.
2. See what work can be applied for, part-time or full-time.
3. Start off with one of you childminding and the other working in another job at least some of the time - childminding is not consistant income.

took me about 6 months before i had any income and a little longer to make profit

my crb took 14 weeks

What the others said. Also my DH has been fully registered and inspected for 4 months now and has only just filled his 2nd child space.

I think how quickly you can fill up will depend a lot on your area. Have you done plenty of research on childcare already available?

It can take anything from 3-6mths (sometimes longer) to complete registration. It's wonderful that you both really want to do this together, but I can't help feeling that your DH finishing work so soon, even before reg'd is a little premature.

I also work with my DH I registered first, filled up and then roped in DH as an assistant, as a couple we still had other business interests, minding can be quite unstable as a sole means of income.

Can one of you look for some form of employment until you have a reasonable client base. I also don't see why you are not entitled to some form a benefit, you are both currently not working therefore available for work and will be until your business is established. Pop into your local CAB and ask for some advice.

It took me 8 months to register.
I think if I was in your shoes I would have told hubby to stay employed until I was registered and up & running with mindees on my books. When I was bringing in a steady income then Hubby could give up his job and register.

I hope it all works out for you.