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Helen Dempster
27-08-2011, 12:49 AM
Hi all - I know, I should be in bed but DS and me are busy decorating and it's so much easier when the kids are in bed LOL.

Anyway, my question...

I currently don't have an emergency/stand-in Childminder, but this is something I really need/want. I've found a lovely person on here who is local and we've been chatting etc and he seems ideal, trustworthy and willing. I was just wondering should I arrange a meeting with just me/me and mindees/me and parents so we can all meet him? Obviously I want everyone to be happy in case we need to use him one day. How did you all introduce parents to your emergency cover?

Thanks all.

marnieb
27-08-2011, 06:01 AM
Yes, by all means you and mindees meet up with him, and try to make it regular, once a month if that's enough, so that mindees know who he is. then if you ever have a real emergency, it wont be traumatic for mindees to be dropped off with a stranger!

As for parents - i have offered for every parent to meet my emergency cm, but only 2 so far have. Once pre-arranged when new mindee was starting, and another only 2 weeks ago when I was going on holiday, and mum 'forgot' and hadnt booked time off work so mindee went to my cm back-up instead!!!!!

FussyElmo
27-08-2011, 07:18 AM
A back up cm is a good idea but only if they have space to help.

In a true energency you would have to rely on the cm being with you or being able to drop everything and get to you.

miffy
27-08-2011, 07:23 AM
I have two back-up childminders and both are well known to the children as we spend a lot of time together anyway.

Sometimes parents will know the other childminders anyway as they have seen them at school or my house but if they don't then I always ask if they want to - in the past both the cm and the parent have come for lunch or we've met at the park, it just depends what the parent wants and what fits in for you

Miffy xx

Mamma4Ya
27-08-2011, 11:58 AM
I hope to find or start up a CM network in my area so that we can help each other out and meet up for days out.