numbers and your own children question

[vickyp]

I'm on maternity leave with child no.2 and contemplating a change of career to childminding, I'm attending the council's pre-registration meeting at the end of November but have hit a potential deal breaker already...

I understand that can look after up to three under fives but this includes my own children. My eldest has started school but is an august baby so is only four years old. Does the limit of three just count the number in your care at any one time? So I'd be able to look after my daughter and two other under fives the hours that my son was at school, but that when he was home, before and after school and during the holidays, I'd only be able to have one mindee at any one time?

Obviously when he turns five it would be a lot easier but my maternity leave would be up a few months before then which could be problematic from an income perspective

[Penny1959]

As your own child is in full time education you can mention this to Ofsted and they usuallywill count your child as an over fives for means of ratio's.

Therefore unless any other reasonwhy Ofted might restrict numbers you should be able to have 2 ubder fives in you care plus your own baby.


Penny :)

[tulip0803]

It does depend which country you are in.

In England if a child is 4 and attending full-time school (mornings and afternoons) as a rising 5 then they can be counted as 5 IF OFSTED put a "Rising 5" clause on your certificate. They are always counted as over 5 whether it is term-time or holidays. If he is not in full-time school he would count as an under 5.

If you are in Wales then children are either under or over 5 at the moment as the standards changed in April and the rising 5 clause was omitted. This will hopefully change back to the way it is in England soon (fingers crossed). In this case both your children are under 5 and you could only have 1 under 5 mindee whether or not your son was in school.

Not sure about Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Your own children will count in your numbers whether they are with you or not. For instance you could not send you own children to their Grandparents/other childminder/friend and take 2 more children on as you would be over numbers. Normally your certificate would take your children off your numbers before you start. Mine says I can care for 5 children under 8 of which no more than 3 can be under 5 and of those no more than 2 under 18 months (I am in Wales and the ratios are different from England and I have a 7 year old). Yours would say that you can care for 4 children under 8 etc.

It can take anything from 3 months to more than a year to register depending on where you live and what the registration process for your area is.

You are also not guaranteed to fill spaces quickly. When I first registered I had siblings that started immediately full-time one under 5 one school. I moved to Wales and re-registered (coincided with recession) and spent a year working with one child for 6 hours a week! As I got a new one started the old one moved away so this was 3 children over the year. It took 18 months to really get going and now 3 years on I am working 40 hours a week but a lot of that is only with one mindee:( so still not maximising income. I work part-time too:( . So it depends on demand and work opportunities in your area.

[vickyp]

Thank you both so much :)

I'm in England and he's full time in reception so that's a relief. In Inner London and I've already got someone who wants to use me two days a week as soon as I'm registered, there seems to be a dire need for childminders here so I'm hopeful I would be able to get mindees without too much waiting, though obviously I'll have to see what the council say and as you say Tulip that might be wishful thinking. I've still got a LOT of research to do. I hope work picks up for you soon.

[Penny1959]

Thank you both so much :)

I'm in England and he's full time in reception so that's a relief. In Inner London and I've already got someone who wants to use me two days a week as soon as I'm registered, there seems to be a dire need for childminders here so I'm hopeful I would be able to get mindees without too much waiting, though obviously I'll have to see what the council say and as you say Tulip that might be wishful thinking. I've still got a LOT of research to do. I hope work picks up for you soon.

Good Luck with it all - hope registration goes smoothly

Penny :)