BBC news 17.5 -

[sarak31]

I think, as Sarah says, we need to focus on whether business is sustainable as an independent childminder and how to make it so. I have made the decision after many years of childminding to use my experience, qualifications and experience running training courses in my 'pre childminding' life to set up a training company delivering support and trainingto childminders in my local area for a v low cost to try and support childminders who want to stay independent. I just can't see how the LA (which in my area offer low support anyway) can offer an support to independent childminders and without anything I can see it all going by the wayside. The whole thing makes me so cross.

I think the questions we need answers to aren't around agencies so much as we know they are coming and most don't want to join one. I want to know, direct from ofsted,
- how much will it cost to be registered as independent childminder?
- will independent childminders still get individual gradings?

From local authorities I want to know whether any funding will be available for training.

Websites like childcare.co will still be operational for independent childminders I am assuming(??) and word of mouth will still be a strong selling point so that's advertising covered in general terms.

These are the key issues for independent childminders I think - cost of registration and funding to maintain CPD. I think it is time to focus energies away from the agency arguments (they are inevitable in one form or another although I am not saying we give up fighting them and spreading the word re petitions etc) and focus on keeping us going and making us stronger, better and experts in our field compared to agency childminders.

[Simona]

Ricky_Smith ...why don't you read the feedback cms are providing for me regarding the conditions and hoops they have to jump through to access the funding, they are many and varied...newly registering cms will have none of those!

LAs are not giving in...some are....the others are waiting for DfE guidance and a new Code of Practice so until then they will stick to their 'locally' agreed terms for funding.

Yes from Sept it looks like we can all access the funding...when do you think they will have the curtesy to let us know...31 August?

Ofsted can hardly give us any answer while they are fiddling with our inclusion in the new framework...cost of registration? ...well figures have been banded about, so start saving

LAs cannot answer what training they can provide because they have not got a clue and if they do it will cost us..spending review due out soon I believe!