Need Childminding help & advise............please(sorry - long)

[katymac]

Sorry to crash your board again ladies (& gentlemen if appropriate)

As you know I'm a childminder and I have been eager to offer respite care to children with special needs and their parents, as I've had a little training and we run a very flexible childmining practise.

I have never asked any of my existing parent whether I can take on a new child and I am not intending to start now.

However I am discussing with a special needs advisor, whether my setting would be more appropriate for a child who is currently at a large nursery.

Is there a "good" way to go about telling my current parents about this child without being (so many words apply here including condesending, rude, un-necessary etc)?

I don't want to justify this child's place at my house - however feel I need to pre-emt any concerns and worries they might have. (things like will it uset my child?, will my child be neglected as this child is 'special needs'?, will this child's (assumed) bad behaviour be copied by my chilren?)

I know that this can be put in a positive light (I'm just not sure how)

I'm very pleased to have this opportunity and think that offering more flexible care to the child (eg C/Mer's, attending therapy with the C/Mer, also attending some nursery) is a really great idea.

Sorry to waffle, and also sorry if my concerns are inappropriate - I just want to do the best thing for everyone.

Any advise or suggestions

Don't really have any advice sorry, just wanted to say that I have found nothing that you have said inappropriate

All makes sense what you have said.

I do have a SN child, but I can still understand that parents of the other children could be worried

Thank you Annibear, I have had children with special needs before, but always had the child and the special need was diagnosed afterwards - so relationships had been built up, so it was little XX who now has YY (if that makes sense?)

I would just continue with the same practice,taking on the child then explaining to the other parents this is x and s/he has whatever they have,then let the parents come to you with any questions or concerns they may have.As you say you dont have to justify this childs place with you and for what its worth i think its wonderful you offereing this service,in our area there is no special needs out of school provision at all leaving me very very stuck about finding work!!

I would just continue with the same practice,taking on the child then explaining to the other parents this is x and s/he has whatever they have,then let the parents come to you with any questions or concerns they may have.As you say you dont have to justify this childs place with you and for what its worth i think its wonderful you offereing this service,in our area there is no special needs out of school provision at all leaving me very very stuck about finding work!!

Loobie - what a shame - is there a chldminding network - they can often help (it's funded by SureStart)

I hope that we are able to help in this situation, and that the child is OK with shared care

Does anyone else have any suggestions/input?

Bump for ThePrisoner

Hello Katymac! Surprise!

I've actually cared for lots of children with SN (some relatively minor, some pretty major). My first minding experience with a SN child was a 14-ish month old boy with DS. His mum wanted me to ask permission from all the other minding parents before I agreed to have him - I said that I wouldn't "ask", I would inform them. I did talk to the other parents, and they all agreed that I should be able to use my own judgement as to whether I should take on any child (SN or not) and that they trusted me to be able to do this. They all felt that it should definitely not be "up for discussion" with them. I only mind for nice, sensible parents!

Basically, any child you take on needs to be able to "fit in" with the group that you already have. If you can deal with whatever needs a child has, then that's what is important.

That was a ramble, wasn't it!!

I know what you mean - I would never neglect the existing children for a new child and parents should respect that, I agree

However I wondered if it would help to have a brief "introduction" so to speak to explain and negate any misconceptions the parents might have (iyswim)

What kind of SN does child have?

I understand (I haven't met her yet) Cerebal Palsey & Epilepsey - she bites herself and head bangs - leading to developmental delay (she is about 2 but functioning below 12m)

Off to bed - I'll catch you tomorrow

Thanks

OK, will chat again when I'm a bit more conscious!

Ok, so now I'm a bit more conscious ...

I've cared for several SN children, but they haven't needed one-to-one care. As I work alone, I obviously have to be able to manage all my mindees at the same time. If the child you're potentially going to be caring for needs one-to-one care, I assume it would be easier (?) for you as you have assistants??

It was often almost impossible for parents of these children to find someone to care for their child (either to work or for some "me" time) as many minders are very nervous of venturing into the unknown.

However, the benefits for these children to be in a "normal" setting were untold. The other mindees have totally accepted these other children, have asked questions, been happy with the answers, and have been happy to "help out" by choice. I continued to go to our usual music group, toddler group, soft play sessions and for days out, and it has been just brilliant to see how well some of them have responded.

And I'm getting really really good at "responding assertively" to people who make unacceptable comments about any of the children!!

She (apparently) only needs 121 at the therapy session/music group that are organised for her.

The situation is complicated by the fact that the nursery she attends is about 9 miles and a parking ticket away from us. So collecting and dropping off will be tricky. It will count as 121

The network co-ordinator suggested that while DH was out of the house the new child would not count as one of our numbers. But Ofsted say she would so I can only do either this child and her sibling or the F/T twins I met today.

Would dh be the person responsible for her? Isn't he registered as a childminder himself?

That's right

But if I am at home with 2 assistants and 9 children (my registered numbers) and he is minding another child somewhere else we would be over our numbers (according to OFSTED)

Are any of your assistants registered childminders themselves?

Is it a parent asking you to mind this particular child, or some "government body" type of situation? Would a letter from them, with an application from you, sent to OFSTED asking for a registration variation to accommodate this girl help? (Yes, I know, it's OFSTED but, hey ho - you never know!)

OFSTED's arguement is that if I have 9 at home I can't have another one out - so that y=would go for the assistants too wouldn't it?

It's the local Childrens centre who are asking and yes a letter from them might help

It just seems silly if I have the right number at home - how one out at nursery would affect us

It's getting late so my brain is slowly hibernating for the night ... however ... am trying to sort this out in my head -

You and 2 assistants are allowed to have 9 children?

Your dh is a registered childminder in his own right?

He can mind 3 under-fives by himself?

Sorry - I went to bed

1 & any two can have up to 9 at home
DH & any two can have up to 9 at home

But me & 2 others can have 9 - if he has 1 somewhere else

I think it makes sense really - I just don't like it

I think I've been overdosing on something coz I am sooooo confused!! ... if dh can have one child elsewhere (where??), why can't he be responsible for the girl in your house? Am I being really thick here?

Problem is (and I'm not explaining very well) that I'm a greed cow

During the time this child needs 121 sessions at the childrens centre, she will be classed as being at my setting because DH will be minding her. But I use that place for someone else so therefore would be over minding.

Even tho' there would be the right number of minder (& assistants) at home for the 9 children we are registered for.

ie At home
3 minders = 9 children & DH doing the shopping OK
3 minders = 9 children & DH at a 121 session not OK

I'm not explaining this very well am I?

sorry

So if your dh went shopping with the child, it would be OK!!!!

If he is at childrens centre, perhaps he wouldn't be regarded as a childminder?

No....only if he was by himself

I'm hoping the Nursery will take responsibility for her whilst on the Nursery premises therefore aleviating the problem

Yes I agree he isn't minding at a 121 therapy session