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Bananabrain
12-11-2009, 05:05 PM
Hello guys.
Need to canvass your thoughts if that's ok?
Was wondering how many of you have vacancies and how the recession has impacted your business?
Was told yesterday that the local 'head minder':laughing: lady who has been minding for donkeys, has lost so many children that she will be down to 2 at Christmas.
There are a lot of childminders around here,but I think that most of them are starting to panic now as they have vacancies they just can't fill.
Is it the same where you are?
I am just about keeping my head above water,but only just!!
I have taken lots of advice from this wonderful forum and advertised everywhere,joined childcare.co.uk etc but no calls.{not sensible ones anyway}:laughing:
Starting to worry big time as I've put huge amounts of effort in and don't want to give up. Kinda thinking that by the time Offie do come there will be no children here!!!!
Tell me it will be ok please.:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

PixiePetal
12-11-2009, 05:10 PM
It has been as dead as a dodo here since the summer...............but, I saw a family today and have 2 more part timers to see next week ( one is only temp :( )

Fingers and toes crossed


Things are moving again and I am very relieved:)

Adiamond
12-11-2009, 05:16 PM
Hi, I registered back in May and I only have one 21 month old in the daytime and 2 brothers after school :(
I haven't had any enquires for ages!!!! I am clinging on to these kiddies for dear life cause if these go I will have to find another job and I have put soooo much into this I would be gutted :panic: x x x

Minstrel
12-11-2009, 05:33 PM
Although slow to get started- my enquiries have been steady since Sept and not showing any signs of slowing at the mo.

I decided from the start that i didnt really want full timers. Just a personal choice. I like the mix of lots of part timers- makes my days different and weeks are whizzing by! I also havent put all my eggs in one basket.

I have 8 part timers- 1 more paying retainer to hold a future spot and another two interviews upcoming.

I was originally made redundant (Woolworths) so have already felt the wrath of the recession so i am glad the CMng hasnt been hit yet.

Mollymop
12-11-2009, 05:48 PM
yes it is very slow around here too! I haven't had an enquiry for ages when usually, last year, I was having enquiries every month or so.

I as full as I want to be but I hope it picks up soon

miffy
12-11-2009, 05:48 PM
I only work part-time but I'm as full as I want to be.

Thankfully haven't been too affected by the recession so far.

Miffy xx

singingcactus
12-11-2009, 06:16 PM
I have turned away 3 full timers this week alone! But this time last year there was nothing around - although to be fair I was full so not advertising, and i have no idea now if I am advertising or not cos of the new information service.
LOADS of minders here seem to have packed in in the last 6 months or so and we only have one daycare. Jobs for mums are a little harder to find though and mums are now starting to look further afield to the outlying areas to gain employment. I am not sure what will happen here if a big employer began looking for a workforce cos our childcare sector does seem to be shrinking more rapidly than it could be regrown.

Rasharoon
12-11-2009, 06:19 PM
I have 6 children who are all part time and I'll be losing 3 of them next March - this will leave just the before and after schoolers.

Nobody in my area has been receiving any calls and everybody is a bit twitchy.

In the two years I've been childminding, I can count on two hands the amount of calls I received and I've done the advertising.

I'm thinking ahead now and am doing my NVQ Level 3 to look for a job within a preschool/nursery/infant or junior school as I cannot see any change in my area.

Wishing you lots of luck.

ORKSIE
12-11-2009, 06:23 PM
I am as full as i want to be.
I had 2 enquiries last week, but I dont have the space.
Hope it stays that way.
Good luck to all of you who have spaces to fill.

helenlc
12-11-2009, 06:24 PM
I am the busiest I have been since I started 2 years ago, ironically!!

I have part timers although one should be going full time in the new year and one is leaving at Xmas. I have a couple of temp ones I am juggling too - one is my friend's foster son who is waiting to be moved so could end any time and another one usually goes to my friend who is a CM but her son is in and out of hospital at the moment so I am covering her.

I was also chatting to a mum at my toddler group I run today and she is looking to go back to work and was very interested in me having her daughter should she get work.

Last summer (08) I was really struggling and was looking into going back to nannying or even Sainsburys, but a full timer came along that was enough for me to bob along with. Then got a few enquiries over this summer that all came off - and for the first time I had to pass an enquiry onto a friend! That was a really weird feeling!! :eek:

I cannot guarantee that it will definitely pick up for you but I have been where you are now and have ended up really busy, so keep going!!!:thumbsup:

TheBTeam
12-11-2009, 06:27 PM
We are virtually full at the moment, but that will change a bit in January, we have one child who will be leaving as he is going to school so doesnt need us, and one who is waiting for a nursery space nearet to where they live as the mum doesn't drive and they have moved away from our area.

haribo
12-11-2009, 06:32 PM
i have 2x 2 year olds for 2 days a week and an after schoolie 3 times a week :( after being full for 16 yrs. my cm friend has given up as she had no-one . really hope things pick up or i will have to think about doing something else ..

tulip0803
12-11-2009, 06:34 PM
Really dead here too. I am working part-time as well as minding at the moment.

I had an enquiry yesterday but it was not enough to be able to stop working part-time - particularly as DH is being made redundant at the beginning of next month:( - so I had to pass it on to another minder so she was pleased:D .

Chimps Childminding
12-11-2009, 06:37 PM
No enquiries here at the mo! No too bothered at present as I have enough for now and a new baby starting in April, but will be losing one to school next sept and with the one that went this year and another mum who cut her hours will need to fill the space asap once she goes to school, so hope it picks up a bit by then!!!!:panic:

Gizmo
12-11-2009, 06:39 PM
I have 2 full timers and my dd so am full for pre-schools, nothing happening on the school age front very quiet. I have also been told of 3 people looking to start up as cms in our village as they cant get work and they think cm would be an easy way to make a living. :panic:

Beckieboo
12-11-2009, 06:47 PM
I dont feel as alone now! :( Thought it was me! It is so quiet here, even the childminders that have been doing it years and years are quiet! I am going to have to look at a part time job after christmas if things dont pick up. I have a before and after schoolie five days a week and a two yr old three days a week!

Fingers crossed it will pick up soon, before i was registered i was inundated with enquiries!! lol, sods law!:laughing:

Chatterbox Childcare
12-11-2009, 08:14 PM
We are still busy in our area but others 5 mins down the road are not.

Pudding Girl
12-11-2009, 08:22 PM
I only have 3 spaces for under school age and one for overs -

Since this time last year I have had:

2x full timers
then took on a pter making 3 under

then 2x fters left
3 weeks of just pter

then 2 previous mindees came back pt making 3 under again

then got another 2 fters making 5 under

then 2 previous mindees left again lol

then 1 pter started school so 2 under and 1 over

then I gave notice to the 2fters :mad: which meant I had just the after schoolie

then the 2 previous came back part time again
then 2 siblings started pt
then one over started pt
then 2 sibling mindees who started this time last year with came back 30hrs a week each

So now I have 8 on the books doing from 4.5hrs upto 30hrs a week


it's been a bit hectic!! Gone from 1 - 8 mindees and varying degrees of inbetween, But I've never been busier!! And I still have one full time under space left too so could get a whole lot busier.

I have noticed though since I started it was all fters, now it's all pters, not sure if that's notable?

AnnieM
12-11-2009, 08:24 PM
I have never struggled to fill places in 15 years and have always been full, but I lost 3 erlier this year when they moved away and have not had an enquiry since last November and couldn't take that one at the time. I live in a village of about 7000+ people, there are 3 private nurseries, 1 school nursery and a new CC within a 1 mile radius from me. When I started 16 years ago, there were 26 childminders in our village there are now 6 and I still can't get any work. I really don't want to give up as I have invested so much time, money and energy into this, but if I don't get some cildren soon I will have to do something else, I simply cannot afford to live on £150 a month, while OH is on short time. :( I have done the website, put posters up, done advertising on the back of my car, not sure if there is anything else I can do really.

balloon
12-11-2009, 08:28 PM
I'm full and have a waiting list BUT I haven't had any new calls for ages.

A couple of weeks ago I was panicking cos a FTer was leaving but things are looking up again :)

The Juggler
13-11-2009, 07:42 AM
I'm full at the moment but I've a feeling I'll possibly be down a lot by Easter time. I just found out a part-timer from ss is leaving after christmas as she has nursery place.

One of my after schools recently dropped from 5 to 4 to 3 days.

Two others have gone from two days in school week to one and they hardly ever turn up in their two contracted holiday days - which makes me feel they will leave soon.

One of my part-time day timers mums (I'm sure) is trying for baby number two so may leave soon.

That will leave me seriously down and not many calls happening....:(

lindylou
13-11-2009, 08:20 AM
Hi we are very full in birkenhead this week alone have had a call for a 9 month old baby and a call for a 2year old one was for 3 days and one for 4 days. I could not do either as we are full to capacity and have people waiting
i am very lucky as i have been doing it a long time and get most of the children through word of mouth
Hope it picks up for you soon
Linx

terrydoo73
13-11-2009, 12:28 PM
I am chair of my local childminding support group and did a survey in September just to see how many spaces there were available in my area.

Out of 60 there was only a couple with 1 space for preschoolers. This particular girl had lost 3 children in one weekend - 2 after schoolers and a younger child - father had been made redundant. Anyway I get a call from the father this week saying he has now got a job but cannot get a childminder - felt like telling him you should have kept your place! He will have problems - in the town you are only really registered for 2 preschoolers and 1 afterschooler (to do with planning laws) and I told him this. There are 2 private nurseries in the area but they do charge an arm and a leg and the waiting list is very long.

At present I have 4 preschoolers - had to register hubby to do this but I knew it would only be for short term - here I am 9 months later and still have them. Feeling the pressure though now - although it is only for 3 days a week that all 4 are here but even at that it is 3 10 hour days! One of the other 2 I look after goes to school next year and the other to nursery - I am definately taking no more on for a year or two - I feel I deserve a break for a while and with nursery/school runs will have enough to contend with!

babs
13-11-2009, 12:33 PM
2 full timers at present but dont get paid for the summer hoildays at mindees mum is at collage.. no other enquires yet to date...

janminder
13-11-2009, 03:04 PM
I cant take anymore on at mo and have had phone calls recently so not too bad where I am.

Madminder
13-11-2009, 03:16 PM
Not good here for the last year. :( Lost twins September last year as they started school I can't collect from, though still have them a couple of days a week in the hols, 2 after schoolers dropped from 4 to 5 days/week and lost the three year old to nursery in September so now down to 1 under 5 two full days and two days from 2.30 till 5 and two after schoolers 3 days a week!

I did have a 1 yr old for 1 day a week for a few month but in the end lost him as mum was doing a course and not earning so had to use family. Only had one enquiry in the last year and that interview was cancelled as she decided to use her mum to save money. Am doing the advertising but I live in a so called deprived area and seems to me that couples are doing shift work so they don't need childcare and many people are just packing work in as they get more for not working at all!

I am struggling to pay the bills at the moment and trying to find a part-time job to help but no luck so far with anything that I can fit around the minding, which I am reluctant to give up. :panic: I have been minding for 14 years and it has never been this bad.

I know lots of childminders that have given up, and many were those with outstanding grades.

Anyone got any leads for jobs that can be done from home that actually pay a decent wage? Would be most appreciated!

Ripeberry
13-11-2009, 05:30 PM
Sorry you're having so much trouble. In the past I've found that if you do evening or early weekend shifts for Homecare for the elderly, you do get up to £8 an hour and mileage allowance. I used to work from 6pm until 11pm Wed/Thur/Fri and then be up ready to start from 6am until 1 pm on Saturdays.
Most months I was bringing home just over £200 a week for 22 hrs work.
That was a couple of years ago, so not sure what vacancies are like now.
The company I worked for were always desperate for workers and one lady used to work over 90hrs a week :eek: , she was rolling in it, but loved her job.
They did used to ring me on my days off and offer £50 just to do a shift....madness
Anything to do with elderly care is quite good, we as CMs are OK with poo, it just means dealing with larger amounts.....sorry :o

Ripeberry
13-11-2009, 05:31 PM
Unless you start an on-line business, don't think there are many well paid home jobs.

sunnysmile
13-11-2009, 05:56 PM
This time last year I was earning £24 a week and this year £98 a week, I have never seen it so quiet and no enquiries, advertised all over the place but it just is not helping and all savings gone.

cherry
13-11-2009, 06:12 PM
It's really dead here, I don't think I've had a phone enquiry for about 8 months.
The work I have got is through recommendation from other mums, it hasn't helped that the Childrens information website is giving out wrong info.

I have 3 children leaving me at Christmas to go to Playgroup and my main earner will be leaving in May so that only leaves me with after school children :(

Most of my childminding friends are in the same position.

teacake2
13-11-2009, 07:33 PM
I live in a village between Derby and Burton in the midlands and I have had no enquiries for about 9 months, I have been minding a long time and this is the second time I have noticed it like this, but this time seems worse. I have advertised like others but still nothing. Thinking about giving up after Christmas.:( :( :(
Teacake2

Desi-101
13-11-2009, 11:58 PM
I live in a village nr Banbury and have had a few queries but not much luck. Been registered since April and feel quite low as its been a long journey to get registered as you all know. From the queries I get I feel the parents are just not willing to pay, I think I am fair (£3.50 p.h) I Have one after school which I charge £4.00 for collection which is 8 mile round trip, leave home at 3, supply cooked meal and only charge from pickup at 3:30 til 6 (mum usually arrives around 6:30 and I don't charge extra) I don't charge hols either as mum has another arrangement, its daunting not having any more but am keeping fingers crossed.

P.S was due my ofsted visit in Oct but they agreed not to inspect until I get an eyfs child in my care, which I am thankful for, as not getting practice at obs etc.

Madminder
14-11-2009, 01:20 AM
Sorry you're having so much trouble. In the past I've found that if you do evening or early weekend shifts for Homecare for the elderly, you do get up to £8 an hour and mileage allowance. I used to work from 6pm until 11pm Wed/Thur/Fri and then be up ready to start from 6am until 1 pm on Saturdays.
Most months I was bringing home just over £200 a week for 22 hrs work.
That was a couple of years ago, so not sure what vacancies are like now.
The company I worked for were always desperate for workers and one lady used to work over 90hrs a week :eek: , she was rolling in it, but loved her job.
They did used to ring me on my days off and offer £50 just to do a shift....madness
Anything to do with elderly care is quite good, we as CMs are OK with poo, it just means dealing with larger amounts.....sorry :o

Thanks for the info but I have no transport in the evenings as DP needs the car for his night shift so really need something I can do from home in the evenings or during the days I have free. :( Will keep looking.