Childminder questions

[maa1992]

Hi,

I'm looking to go back to work in June, my little guy would be 9 months old.

I work full time but would hopefully have family support 2 days a week so I've been emailing some childminders from childcare.co.uk

What do you think I should specifically look out for in a childminder?

None of my friends or family use one so I'm extra anxious. Obviously I will check their dbs, ofsted report and environment etc

I'm already dreading being away from DS

Does anyone have any positive childminder experiences

Thinking ahead to the future, if your child bonds well then the ability to drop off/pick up from your chosen nursery school in future (if you know that). Outdoor play and groups are good. Having other kids around, particularly after school, is nice imo as it creates an extended family atmosphere and is good for little ones.

For various legitimate reasons (house moves, moving schools, CMer retiring), over 3 dc I've used 5 different Childminders - they've ALL been wonderful.
We still see one of them regularly and another occasionally and my (grown up) dc see them as a sort of long standing aunty

You need to ask practical things - costs, charges, what that does / doesn't include.
Do they go out to groups? (Where, how often)
Is everything they go to included in the cost, or will there be 'extras'?
Do they do school runs ? (How? - walking or driving?)
Do they have any back up if they are unwell / have an emergency (I have to say, in 17 years, I only ever had one childminder I needed to cover - and she was off for a week for a planned operation that I was able to know of in advance. I have NEVER had any of my CMers not able to have the dc because of general 'illness' of their own).
What food do they give the dcs ? (Can they show you the menu for the previous week, for example)
How much time do they spend outside on an average day?
Can you see their garden?
Who else is about / in the house during the day?

I’ve always used childminders and been very happy with them. I like the home environment and the slower pace for a younger child.
I’d make sure you ask what activities they do/where they go, their vague daily routine
What kind of contact do they keep with you - do they keep daily diaries, give a verbal handover, send photos
Ask about how many other children they have so you can work out what other ages they will be looking after alongside your DC
Also I ask them what made them go into childminding and whether they enjoy it, they obviously won’t tell you they don’t like it but their response gives you some insight
When you visit them watch them with other children there and your child and it’ll tell you a lot
Also gut instinct is important, you need to feel completely comfortable with whoever is looking after your child