seen another minder leave child asleep in car

[louise]

Hi, I know a similar post was posted awhile go but can't find it. When i went to pick DS up in the walk in i saw a car with a childminding advert on it. Well i then saw in the middle of the car in a seat was a child fast asleep. I thought i knew who the minder was straight away as only 3 other minders that i know of go to the school. I knew it wasn't two of them as i know there cars.

Well suprise, suprise the lady i thought it was walked past with only a boy in arms she normally has a boy and girl(in car) in a double buggy. My friend who was walking with me saw her the girl in car to. I don't know the ladys name and i can't work out who she is from the cis list. I spoke to the other cm i know who helps out at the school. When i told her she knew straight away who i ment. She is always late ect. Cm didnt know her name. So i can't report her. The same cm picked up a boy in my sons class but he has now left. I did see her walk past my house one day and the boy was 3 houses behind her!

Lou

[cher25]

That's awful. If the lo i have was to sleep in the car i get him out and put him in the buggy, which i alway's keep in the boot just incase.
The poor little girl, she would have got all upset if she had woke up. I know some parent's do it, but for a childminder to leave a lo. Hope you find out her name soon.

[nannysue]

I have seen a c/m leave 3 children in the car and go to the cashpoint which was out of view of the car. I hovered "window shopping" until she was back in sight of the car, i just couldn't bring myself to move away. When i mentioned this to another c/m she said that she also left them in the car when she picked up from the playschool :eek:

[wendywu]

Take the reg no of the car, Ofsted could trace her from that.:panic:

[ORKSIE]

This is totally unacceptable, you need to find out this persons name and report what you have witnessed. If a child is asleep in the car you put them in a buggy and take them with you. You NEVER leave a child in a car alone!! For what i think are obvious reasons:angry:
What people do with their own kids is their choice, but these little people are NOT ours!! We are paid and trusted to look after these precious little people!!
Sorry for that but this got my back up!! :angry:

[louise]

Thank you. I have relooked and noticed who she is as her website has the same name as the car. Shows how people aren't who u expect she is doing nvq has done the home based diploma got good on her first Ofsted inspection. I know the kid isn't hers as she has a boy.

I will phone tom

[sunnysmile]

Well done on being vigilant. I once saw a childminder who is no longer registered thankfully, leave 3 children awake, 1 a tiny baby in a car when she went and done her weeks food shopping :eek:

[nokidshere]

Maybe a bit of over reaction? Maybe the parent gave her permission to leave the child in the car if she is asleep? Maybe it was a one off because something else happened? Maybe you should find out before reporting her?

[sunnysmile]

I don't see anyone whatsoever for any reason, leaving children alone in cars as ever acceptable. Anything can happen in such a short space of time.

[RachelE]

I'm sorry, but there are no excuses!!

Any weirdo can come along and snatch a child in a second!

a parent at school has taken to leaving her 2 and almost 4 yr old in the car park (co-op car park) and walk about 1000meters away, 2 hedges, a road and two buildings away, at school pick up and drop off! :eek:
i am really shocked that a supposedly sensible mother would do this. I am very close to saying something!

back to the point, no excuse, full stop! Does it take a child not to be there when they get back to stop people doing it!?!
As soon as you find out her name - report her!

[wendywu]

It does not matter if you have permission or not Ofsted will not allow you to leave a child unattended in a car.

We all know this, but you could give her a friendly warning that if she does it again you will report her. If you dont someone will in the end. She is very silly.:panic:

[claire bear 72]

:( OMG................wat has this CM done??.............given parents more bad feeling for us really hard working concientious CM's :mad: ........I have witnessed myself a CM having her hair done @ hairdressers and 3 :panic: yes THREE children strapped in car seats whilst she had it done!!!!!! Told my hubs........who then reported it & OFSTED said they couldnt do anything as I am a CM and its classed as sour grapes??? :eek:

[louise]

Sorry but she left the child unattended for at least 10 mins. Could of been longer as that was how long it was from me noticing to seeing the cm. Also to be able to get to the classes of school she couldn't even see the car. You have to walk across to the gate, down the hill and go round the back of the school. My sons class is the nearest and i cant see outside of the gate which is fenced off with trees and bushes.

Iam worried about her working out it was me but then the child should come first.

[nell57]

I don't see anyone whatsoever for any reason, leaving children alone in cars as ever acceptable. Anything can happen in such a short space of time.

I agree, there is no excuse for leaving a child unsupervised in a car alone, whether by minder OR parent

[rickysmiths]

]Maybe a bit of over reaction? Maybe the parent gave her permission to leave the child in the car if she is asleep? Maybe it was a one off because something else happened? Maybe you should find out before reporting her?[/COLOR]



I was the one who posted on this subject last week.

Nokidshere are you a Childminder? Frankly your comments disturb me greatly if you are. There are absolutley NO circumstances whatsoever that would mean you could leave someone elses child unattended in a car, with or without their permission.

What if you had an accident or were taken ill while away from the car, were unable to speak, rushed to A & E how would anyone know there waas a parked car out there with someones child in it? Other cars have been known to crash into parked cars, it happened to my sister and her car was written off. There were no children in it thank goodness!!!! A few years ago in the carpark of a well known supermarket near me a 9 year old boy was taken from a car where he had been left. I have seen an 8yr in a car with two younger ones open the car door and they were all running around the car in a car park!!!:eek: I know these things are rare, but they do happen and that is why children should never be left alone in a car.

This happened in our area recently and the childminder concerned was reported to Ofsted a year ago for either not using or using the wrong car saets (before all the comments start the cm who saw this tried hard to talk to her first and the cm would not listen) This cm has been reported again in the last two weeks for leaving a minded child in the car, unattended while she went into a block of flats to take another mindee home.

I'm sorry in advance if I have upset anyone but I do feel pasionately about this topic.

My cousins nearly died because they were left in a car parked on a hill and when their mum came out of the shop the car was running down the hill. The children had 'played at driving'. They took the handbrake off and fiddled with the gear stick and heigh presto!

I will go away now I have had my rant!:D Got to pack, off on my hols in 8hrs.

[RachelE]

Here here!!

well said! :thumbsup:

[nokidshere]

LOL Rickysmiths - good rant :)

I am a childminder and have been for 11 years. Previously to that I was a Senior Nursery Officer for 21 years.

I do understand what you are saying of course, but, as you pointed out, these things are rare and the OP didn't have the full story.

Unless I suspected a child of being abused I would never report as my first course of action - I would always talk to the person involved before deciding what to do next. Quite apart from anything else, you are taken more seriously when you report things if you have details.

Its easy too for us all to be more emotive about subjects that we have personal experience of. My own personal paranoia is garden safety after my own 6 year old almost died last year in an accident in my (very) safe garden.

All I am saying is that you should speak to the people involved and find out all the facts before jumping in with both feet and reporting them.

[ORKSIE]

Sorry but there is NO excuses for leaving a child in the car ALONE for any reason:mad:

[wendywu]

I agree with both sides here, you should never leave a child unatended any where.

But i would always warn the person that they were about to be reported if they did not stop. Give them a chance to see the error of their ways.:panic:

[sunnysmile]

Nobody leaves a child unattended in a car for the childs good, it is done for their own selfish reasons ie makes life easier.
In my opinion if a responsible adult cannot see for themselves the danger in this then they are very unlikely to see the error of their ways without official warning.
We all work hard to uphold our status as a fantstic childcare option and people like this give each and every one of us a bad name.

[ORKSIE]

Mind you, seems safety is an issue here if child is walking behind her and not holding hands or a buggy.
Or have i read original message wrong? where it says child is walking 3 houses behind CM.
Me thinks something needs to be said.

[Mouse]

But i would always warn the person that they were about to be reported if they did not stop. Give them a chance to see the error of their ways.:panic:

I would find it very hard to walk up to another minder and say that I was going to report them if they didn't stop!

What I would do is make a note of what I saw (time, date etc) and if it happened again I would report them. Any childminder should know that you NEVER leave a child alone in a car, no matter what the circumstances.

[wendywu]

Look at it the other way mouse, would you rather get reported and the complaint upheld.

Or someone saying " just a word about leaving children in the car, you must know that you will end up being reported to ofsted if you keep on "

Or " keep on doing that Missy and i will personally dob you in and stitch you up good and proper, so there" ... (even im not that brave)

[FussyElmo]

Its scarey that cm's will do this. I was in tesco once doing my shopping just had my own children mindee was ill - so saw oppprtunity to do the weekly shop in peace -my children were asleep so dh waited in car with them I go bonkers if he leaves them in the car at the petrol station (apparantley im over protective).

I saw another cm with her daughter in tesco shopping stopped to chat and said "you got the day off too then" her reply was "oh no I always leave the mindees in the car".

She must have seen my face and said oh its ok they are strapped in and I have locked them in. I am still shocked and think she was when I told her I saw her do it again I would report her - she honestly didnt think it was a problem.

Think what still grates me she took her own daughter out wouldnt risk her but would others. Dont think she has spoken to me since and yet if you met her to hear her talk she is the best childminder in the world who loves all her mindees the same as her children, she does it for love I once heard.

[LittleMissSparkles]

no one has mentioned itis actually illegal to leave children unattended in a car ..... you could always phone the police if you see this and let them deal with it they would then contact OFSTED and it would be takin seriously as they would not be able to call the police liers would they.

I think any one who can leave any child unattended in a car for any period of time shouldnt be minding full stop

sorry but thats my opinion hope not offended anyone

[patconn2]

Not cms, but neighbours of mine left their daughter (20 mths) asleep in the car while they went to the supermarket. Still to this day don't know why they both went in! Anyway she told me that when they got back to the car 10 mins later, the police were there and the couple were investigated by social services.
I agree that it is unacceptable to leave children in a car, would never do it with my own so apsolutely not with anyone elses:panic:

[Monkey1]

If she has left a child in the car she DESERVES to be reported!

[singlewiththree]

Maybe a bit of over reaction? Maybe the parent gave her permission to leave the child in the car if she is asleep? Maybe it was a one off because something else happened? Maybe you should find out before reporting her?

Is it definately not her own child? I know this shouldn't make a difference as she shouldn't leave the child in the car but it would make a difference to ofsted

[angeldelight]

I think its unacceptable to have left the child and I would have told her so

Angel xx

[mummyroysof3]

you wouldnt leave a child that young alone in the house so why should leaving them in the car be any different?

with all the worrying we do about cant even leave them while we nip to the toilet or leaving them in another room while we cook meals it wouldnt accur to me not to do something im affraid, if you can speak to the person and make them understand so they no longer do it then fine, but a visit from ofsted might be needed if not

thats just my opinion, sorry, i hope i dont upset anyone

charlotte xx

[sunnysmile]

If she approaches her about it though the cm will pretty much know who reported her thus possibly causing more problems and possible animosity so best to let the correct authorities deal with it and prevent further problems.

[Pudding Girl]

Makes you wonder if she does that in public view knowing that she is probably going to be spotted by several other CM what she gets upto in privacy of her own home :panic:

Blatant disregard for safety on her part, so I think I would in turn suffer from a blatant disregard of professional courtesy of a forewarning!!

[Chatterbox Childcare]

Maybe a bit of over reaction? Maybe the parent gave her permission to leave the child in the car if she is asleep? Maybe it was a one off because something else happened? Maybe you should find out before reporting her?


Sorry - our registrations state that we cannot leave the children in the car, even with parental permission. What would happen if there was a fire or the car was hit?

Parents can do this - registered childminders cannot

[Hebs]

my step dad is a parking atttendant and he had to ring the police as a mum left her 2 kids strapped into the car seats in a locked car in the height of summer

police were there 20 mins BEFORE mum arrived to find her car window smashed and kids were at hospital being checked over :panic:

she swore she had only been gone for 5 mins, even though the police took her to the station as they could prove she'd actually been gone over half an hour :eek:

i'd ring the police next time it happens :angry:

[uf353432]

I too have reported a minder recently of leaving an infant in the car to Ofsted. I was told I didn't have enough information when I made my first report to them. In the meantime I have a parent visit who off her own back told me that she didn't use this particular childminder because she see's her routinely leave mindee's in the car at school pickup times. It coincided with being given more information about this childminder from another source. A couple of days later I watched her leave another infant in the car whilst she collected and I went home and immediately reported her, this time giving them full details.

Now why didn't I speak to this childminder? - in all honesty I am more than a little bit intimidated by her, she's quite abrupt and mouthy and I am not a confrontational person. I also don't think there is any point in me fronting up to her, I live in a close knit area and she works within a set of cm who all watch each others backs, I don't particularly want to draw attention to myself. If however we ever get into a conversation about it, I will tell her that I don't agree with children being left in cars.

I don't have any qualms in reporting this kind of thing. With or without a parents permission - a cm should never leave a child in a car alone, pure and simple its bang out of order.

[Blackhorse]

as far as I am aware it is even illegal to leave a dog in a car...

(followed some of the RSPCA programs on the telly for a while)

also found this link
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/coventry_warwickshire/5142078.stm

so I assume it is illegal to leave children in cars?
although I couln't find anything when looking through google.

anyways, I think it is very wrong to leave your kids in the car especially when they are not yours.

[funtoplay]

Perhaps a safeguarding children course should be compulsary!!

j

[Bushpig]

I saw a child (about 6 yrs old) left in a car (a neighbour alerted me to her... she'd been in the car for 45 mins already! :eek: )... and after a couple of minutes of checking neighbours homes to see if they had a visitor whose child it was... I called the police. I had no qualms!!! The father magically appeared then... :rolleyes: The police were NOT happy and their report goes to social services. So if the police take it this seriously, OFSTED should be doing so too, never mind who is doing the reporting.

I don't care whose back I put up or what people think of me... my priority is the child... everytime. Period.

[marzi]

[/FONT][/COLOR]



I was the one who posted on this subject last week.

Nokidshere are you a Childminder? Frankly your comments disturb me greatly if you are. There are absolutley NO circumstances whatsoever that would mean you could leave someone elses child unattended in a car, with or without their permission.

What if you had an accident or were taken ill while away from the car, were unable to speak, rushed to A & E how would anyone know there waas a parked car out there with someones child in it? Other cars have been known to crash into parked cars, it happened to my sister and her car was written off. There were no children in it thank goodness!!!! A few years ago in the carpark of a well known supermarket near me a 9 year old boy was taken from a car where he had been left. I have seen an 8yr in a car with two younger ones open the car door and they were all running around the car in a car park!!!:eek: I know these things are rare, but they do happen and that is why children should never be left alone in a car.

This happened in our area recently and the childminder concerned was reported to Ofsted a year ago for either not using or using the wrong car saets (before all the comments start the cm who saw this tried hard to talk to her first and the cm would not listen) This cm has been reported again in the last two weeks for leaving a minded child in the car, unattended while she went into a block of flats to take another mindee home.

I'm sorry in advance if I have upset anyone but I do feel pasionately about this topic.

My cousins nearly died because they were left in a car parked on a hill and when their mum came out of the shop the car was running down the hill. The children had 'played at driving'. They took the handbrake off and fiddled with the gear stick and heigh presto!

I will go away now I have had my rant!:D Got to pack, off on my hols in 8hrs.

Don't know if anyone has already mentioned it in this thread but if you're not supposed to leave dogs in cars because they can overheat and die why would you risk it with a child?
I'm sure there have been many cases throughout the country in the last few years where a child has died through being left asleep in a car on a warm day.