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Original poster

How hard is it to become a child minder????

27 replies

mmmmchocolate · 15/06/2005 21:09

DD is 9 months old and would really like to start supporting DP and helping out with money etc... Any ideas? Is it hard to become a child minder?

OP posts:
FairyMum · 15/06/2005 21:13

No, you have to do a two-day course and your house has to be assessed as safe. Someone will come around to do this. Its so easy and this is the reason I would never use one......

FairyMum · 15/06/2005 21:13

Sorry, didn't mean to sound harsh. I wish you good luck and I am sure you will be great!!

Jampots · 15/06/2005 21:15

agree its incredibly easy .. or certainly was round here.

Original poster
mmmmchocolate · 15/06/2005 21:20

No offence taken, was just an idea as need my own income, DP is happy to support me and DD but starting to feel guilty about not earning money to contribute.

OP posts:
Evesmama · 15/06/2005 21:28

contact your local child information service or surestart, they will give you information pack and tell you what they can offer.
you will be police checked and some other checks taken(health etc)

you can then go on a training day/evening to see if it really is what you want to do..if you decide it is,, they then organise for you to carry on with childminding training and first aid..and the one im with give me business/bookkeeping etc training too..plus ive been told not to buy anything yet as i can get lots of help with stuf??

good luck

Evesmama · 15/06/2005 21:32

this is area specific, but gives you some leads??
HTH

Original poster
mmmmchocolate · 15/06/2005 21:47

thank you, very kind. How many of your own do you have if you don't mind me asking and how amny do you care for?

OP posts:
Xena · 15/06/2005 21:52

I have my own 3 DS7 DD3 DD1 and I look after 9yo, 8yo, 6yo and two 5yo's. I am registered for 3 under 8's no more than 2 under 5 and no more than 1 under 1. If that makes sense. I choose to only do before and after school so I have the daytime with my 2 DD's.
The normal registration is including your own children you may be registered for no more than 6 under 8's in which no more than 3 of these must be under 5 and only one of them under 1.

Evesmama · 15/06/2005 21:54

im only taking my first training course a week tomorrow, so just in early stages myself..we can go through it together im doing it for same reason!..lots of others just starting up or can give better advice than me on here...dont worry, they'll be here

Original poster
mmmmchocolate · 15/06/2005 22:03

will email tomorrow... i want to work but really don't want to leave dd... Also thinking avon or betterware??? how many children do you have evesmama? Also are the courses hard? i am naturally a shy person until i know the person and worry i will come across badley.

OP posts:
Evesmama · 15/06/2005 22:06

just the one..dd 2 yrs two months..im outgoing on the surface, but incredibly self consious really, think it will do only good, getting out and mixing...cat me if you want and we can chat via email..BTW..where abouts are you??

vickiyumyum · 15/06/2005 22:07

depends on where you live i know that the course for reading and wokingham is certainly longer than 2 days! in fact i find that obscene that someone could be classed as fit to be a childminder after a 2 day course, i know that they will still be subject to police and heatlh checks, but 2 days!!
it is still fairly easy to become a childminder in other areas as well, but personally i found that it wasn't for me. i went into it for the same reasons as you, but after my course and being a childminder for a few months i realised that this wasn't what i wanted to do. it made me miserable! it wasn't fair on my family or me, so i stopped.
i know that this won't be the case for most chuildminders, just letting you know my experience of it all.

Original poster
mmmmchocolate · 15/06/2005 22:07

i have no idea how to cat??? I am in brentwood essex?? Where are you?

OP posts:
Evesmama · 15/06/2005 22:09

middlesbrough!

go near top of page where it says contact another talker and put details in which mn will pass to me

goosey · 15/06/2005 22:10

FairyMum - It may be relatively ?easy? to become a childminder but it isn?t ?easy? to attract, care for children, or to run a good and successful business unless you give a lot of time and thought to your venture. It is most certainly not ?easy? to pass an Ofsted inspection which is what all childminders must have at least every 2 years. Many childminders have or are working towards additional childcare and other training and qualifications and years more experience in hands on care than lots of young nursery nurses. Childminders can offer consistency of care and have the time to build relationships with both children and parents that busy nursery/agency staff find harder to do.
A colourful, clean, safe and well run family home that is properly resourced and geared towards children?s needs is not easy to create or to maintain.

Original poster
mmmmchocolate · 15/06/2005 22:19

i can't do it i can't remember my password... Can you cat me?

OP posts:
FairyMum · 15/06/2005 22:36

goosey, I didn't realise childminder had ofsted inspections every 2 years actually. What do they do? I know of childminders who never have the kids outside in fresh air, have lots of children in the house at the same time and no real activities for the children. A lot of tv bascially. What are the requirements ? Do they for example have eductaional targets like nurseries do? Can parents read the reports like you can do for nurseries? I am not trying to say that all childminders are useless, btw. I would have preferred child minder myself for my DD when she was little, but I could not find anyone I could trust or thought remotely interesting for my child, so genuinly interested in the requirements!

Xena · 15/06/2005 22:42

Ofsted have a list of standards that you have to comply with. I am dreading my Ofsted inspection( I'm due one soon) and in my opinion, and the opinion of the children and parents that I work for, I do a good job. The children are occupied by crafts I set out, the home corner, the toys etc. If you don't have a garden then you are expected to take the children out each day.
I have to say in the 2/3 years I have been minding my children have watched alot less TV than they would have done.

KatyMac · 15/06/2005 22:49

A lot of c/mers don't work towards educational standards - but many do

These can be foundation stage (just like nurseries) Alibubbles is like this
Birth to 3 matters - a national curriculum working with babies to prenursery focusing on slef awareness /health/ development the 4 sections are entitled a healthy child, a skillful communicator, a competant learner and a strong child.
Some c/mers are in a "Children come First" nework which means they are assessed every 6 to 8 weeks - these assessments are more stringent than OFSTED and purely voluntary on the part of the C/Mer. Networks provide free training for c/Mers - I have recently (in the last month) attended an overview of Autistic Spectrum Condition, Preschool Music, Equal Ops (run by a fantastic woman with a great guide dog) Transactional Analysis and tomorrow I'm doing Birth to Three Matters (as mentioned above)

OFSTED produce a report - just like nurseries and C/Mers should produce this for you to read.

PS TV never on in my house between 7.30am and 6pmexcept when DH wants to watch the tennis

FairyMum · 15/06/2005 22:51

Yes Thanks! Interesting as I didn't know about the reports. I just wish I could find one of those wonderful childminders. I have been all across the town and very disappointed, but I suppose they are all taken already.....

KatyMac · 15/06/2005 22:57

Hi Xena you shouldn't dread your OFSTED - I really enjoy mine I'm a bit nervouse the day or 2 before - but once she's ther I'm away

goosey · 15/06/2005 23:01

Hi FairyMum - Ofsted are now responsible for the registration and inspection of all childminders and are very thorough indeed ? an inspection can last over half a day. We can have as little as a day?s notice of an inspection so everything always has to be in tip top condition from records to day?s activities and cleanliness/safety of our homes.
There are 14 National Standards which we must meet as a minimum requirement and many childminders take pride in exceeding.
We are now also inspected to the standards of ?what it would be like to be a child in our setting? which I think is a great idea, and have to have an in depth working knowledge of the Birth to Three Matters Framework and the Early Learning Goals ? jus as nurseries. Not all childminders are accredited to provide Early Years Education but even those who are not try to include learning elements into all play and everyday conversations.
I could say loads on the subject but if you look here at my own website you can see more and also my inspection report and links to the childminding standards.
I appreciate that there may be not so good or committed childminders out there but I trust that most parents, like yourself, who are looking for quality childcare would sense that they were not that great from the minute they walked through the door.
Our Ofsted reports must be made available to parents and are now available on the internet as are nursery reports (this publishing to the internet has only recently started ? although I have had mine and other minders have had theirs voluntarily published on their own sites for a lot longer)
Inspections could also be carried out a lot more often than every 2 years depending on the outcome of the previous inspection.

FairyMum · 15/06/2005 23:06

Thanks Goosey.

KatyMac · 15/06/2005 23:06

Like your website Goosey

No one has mentioned the first aid course either a 12 hr course with emphasis on babies and children

goosey · 15/06/2005 23:29

Thanks KM - I notice we have the same pic on our sites! Yours is great, really clear and love the tree.
I'm doing my NVQ at the momement so not much time for mumsnet - will be SOOOOOOO pleased when it's finished. Hopefully by the end of November then I'll be having a big party!!!

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