how to go about finding cover?

[Elkie Mawdsley]

Hello everyone. Im due to have my second baby in January, and I am wondering how I would go about finding a childminder to cover one of my mindees while I am off (stopped advertising when I found out and am a new minder so only one on roll). He is a part time, shift worker contract so adhoc days here and there, which mum steuggled to find anyone to take on. Don't know where to start :/

[moggy]

I covered a maternity leave once, but it was the parents who found me not the pregnant childminder. It is nice of you to try to help them find a new childminder but it is really their responsibility. If you want to help them, then be careful not to take too much responsibility in terms of 'recommending' someone as if it does not work out with the replacement CMer you do not want it to come back on you as the one who 'recommended' them.

I would go through all the usual routes- local childminding facebook page, childcare.co.uk, any local Network or CM groups and generally put the word out. It may suit a new childminder who has no other business yet as they may be happy to take the odd hours and short-term contract just to get them started- so if you have a friendly EY team at the LA you could ask them if there are any new CMers in the area who might be interested.

[tulip0803]

When I was pregnant I got the list from FIS of local childminders - I rang around to find out who had spaces and then gave the parents the info and left it to them to speak to the minders. I told the parents that I understood that if they wanted to stay with the new minders or they could come back but I was having several months off - as it was we decided to move so they all stayed with their new minders. I had a few mindees and they all managed to get a place with local minders (one was with 2 minders over the week). Only one went to after school club.

[Elkie Mawdsley]

Thank you both - will look at the fis. We dont have a local cm group in my area :(