Going to talk to big wigs

[MacFi]

Hello
I have been invited to take part in a roundtable event with Ministers from the Department for Education and Department for Work and Pensions on Tuesday as a childminding representative.

I have only been minding for a two a half years so I need your help please!

The commission is on the affordability and availability of childcare. Ministers are keen to hear directly from interested parties about:-

Identifying any regulation that burdens childcare providers unnecessarily because it is not needed for reasons of quality or safety.

So come on what do you think I should say on behalf of childminders?

[sarah707]

Wow that's an excellent opportunity to talk about how important childminders are in the early years agenda and how we must not be sidelined!

Have a good read through all the deregulation threads here -

http://childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=94

Have you seen the commission call for evidence? It went on line a few days ago and is closely linked to your question -

http://childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=105426

A few members are working on some sample answers - if you bear with us a little while we'll be posting them on the forum - they will give you some ideas.

Hth :D

[MacFi]

I really enjoyed last weeks visit to the department of education but I was the only non- cbe / obe or dame in the room - very weird!

We had too much to cover and too many people with things to say but it was a positive meeting and a good start, my worry will be they will say that they have had a consultation based on that which didnt even skim the surface.

Everyone was loudly against de-regulation so they would be mad not to listen.

Ho hum off to rewrite my EYFS stuff for september :thumbsup:

[sarah707]

Thank you for the feedback MacFi! I hope they listen :D

[zippy]

I really enjoyed last weeks visit to the department of education but I was the only non- cbe / obe or dame in the room - very weird!

We had too much to cover and too many people with things to say but it was a positive meeting and a good start, my worry will be they will say that they have had a consultation based on that which didnt even skim the surface.

Everyone was loudly against de-regulation so they would be mad not to listen.

Ho hum off to rewrite my EYFS stuff for september :thumbsup:

That sounds positive, childminders are the most flexible form of childcare around they'd be crazy to do anything to jepodise the status of childminders, the only way I can see of making anything cheaper is to clamp down on employers that won't give parents regular set shift patterns as childcare providers then have to charge for a full time space.