Childcare For Under Eights

[Minnie]

Just a word of warning/advice for parents seeking childcare, or mums, students etc offering childcare services.

 

There appear to be people offering childcare services, particularly for during the school holidays, when they are not registered. Being a mum myself I realise how difficult it is to organise childcare, during the holidays especially, but if you are a parent looking for a childminder for a child under 8 please make sure that the person is registered. You can be prosecuted if you act as a childminder without being registered.

 

More information on..... http://www.gov.im/dhss/services/family/child_minders.xml

[Observer]

I thought that if the carer was looking after the child in the child's own home then the rules were more flexible on the registration requirements no? Maybe I'm way out of date :-(

[Minnie]

Yes, you're right about that, Obs. If you look after the child in his/her own house there is no requirement to be registered, there are exceptions with regards the regulations but I didn't want to waffle on too much so I put the link to the website for people to see for themselves.

[gillf]

Good point Minnie. You can get a list of registered childminders from the government, although some childminders do choose not to have their name on the list. Either way if government registered the childminder will have an official certificate with their name and address on issued by social services.

[Minxie]

What sort of checks do child minder go through to become registered? (I hear that it is quite a thorough process which is good)

[Minnie]

It is a very thorough process, Minxie. Every applicant has to have police checks and medical checks done as well as having their house inspected by the registrations inspector to make sure it's a completely safe environment to bring children into. It's not only the childminder who has to have a police check done, any other adult living in the house must be police checked as well.

 

Within the first year of registration childminders have to complete 7 courses/talks (eg managing behaviour, fire safety etc) and must pass a life saving course.

 

After 3 months of being registered the childminder has an inspection, after which the inspections are done annually, although the inspectors are able to do "spot checks" whenever.

 

Edited to add: Childminders also have to have public liability insurance and car insurance which covers them transporting the minded children in their car.

[Slim]

Hmm. I think the way the system is currently, if you go with a chilminder who's been registered for under a year, you're taking on a higher risk, which is kind of unfair to new childminders.

[gillf]

Hmm. I think the way the system is currently, if you go with a chilminder who's been registered for under a year, you're taking on a higher risk, which is kind of unfair to new childminders.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I dont agree with you there at all Slim, why would a childminder whos been registered less than a year be a higher risk? They still have the same checks done as chidminders whove been registered for 20 years!

My little girl started going to a childminder when she only just become registered, and she still goes there now, and I wouldnt change her for the world, and my little girl loves her to bits.