childminding my grandson

[eviesnanny]

Hello everyone, I have been childminding now for 3 years and I love it! My 7 month old grandson's mother has just returned to work. I am looking after for 3 days a week,
and yes I'm still in ratio. However, she is claiming for childcare and is insisting of giving it to me. I dont want it, and shall probably open a savings account for my grandson with it. What I want to know is, do I still have to plan, observe and produce a profile for him or can I get her to sign a waiver saying she is happy with my verbal input? Will this satisfy Ofsted do you think? I found when I was doing my planning for next week I automatically included him anyway, but I really dont want to bother with another profile!

I love this site. I dont come on here very often now, I'm just too busy, but I know if ever I have a query you are all here to help! Thank you ladies (and gentlemen)!

[margaret]

I cant understand why you wouldnt want to do a learning journal for your grandchild ,i get lots of enjoyment doing my journals but would get more if it was for a grandchild.As youre running a business surely it doesnt pay not to charge for grandchildren,i know you say you get paid but why would you not.One of my colleagues doesnt charge for her grandchild and all she does is moan that she always has child and child is treated differently from others ,its very noticeable ,extra cuddles ,different snacks ,treats at farm that other kids dont get,most unfair.

[eviesnanny]

I can assure you I would never treat my grandson differently from the other children in my care. I would never dream of giving him treats without giving the same treats to the other children, that would be cruel. Instead of doing a learning journey for him I would spend more time with him, it's as simple as that. Of course there will be lots of photos. My grandson's parents are not in highly paid jobs and every penny counts. I thought I would be
helping them by not accepting payment.

[sarah707]

Yes you need to deliver the full EYFS for every EYFS aged child in your care - regardless of relationship with you.

If you are finding your way of recording Learning Journeys too much and getting bogged down with paperwork there is lots of support around the forum for cutting down and streamlining

[Maza]

Yes you need to deliver the full EYFS for every EYFS aged child in your care - regardless of relationship with you.

If you are finding your way of recording Learning Journeys too much and getting bogged down with paperwork there is lots of support around the forum for cutting down and streamlining

We don't have to do them with our own children though do we? So I can see why people would question doing it with their grandchild. x

[margaret]

If grandparent is a registered childminder and her family is claiming childcare element she should be doing the paperwork.If grandparent is looking after child out of love and doesnt want money parent should not be claiming childcare .As professional childminders in my opinion we are not registered to save people money .Its tax evasion and fraud.

[sarah707]

We don't have to do them with our own children though do we? So I can see why people would question doing it with their grandchild. x

No, not for your own children - just children you are childminding - for more than 2 hours a day for payment.

If you are delivering the free / funded entitlement to your own 2 or 3 year old then my understanding is that you should provide evidence of their learning and development in the same way as for childminded children

[blue bear]

However, she is claiming for childcare and is insisting of giving it to me. I dont want it, and shall probably open a savings account for my grandson with it. D

This reads likes mum is claiming tax credits for child care quoting the normal weekly charge and just giving you the amount the government is giving her to assist with her childcare cost. I'm sure this is not the case but if it is this is illegal.

My friend had her inspection with granddaughter included in her numbers they were not interested in the granddaughters lj. But my friend just loves doing it and so does the little girls mum so she will carry on. It doesn't take that long to stick in photos and pieces of work and it's such a lovely keep sake and keeps all the children the same, how will your grandson feel when he's older and all the children look back through their special Learning journals and he doesn't have one?

[supermumy]

Surely if he is on books but u not taking any money u are losing out as you still need to declare it for tax credit and your taxes?

But yes all eyfs has to be done regardless of relationship as in your care he is my your grandson he is you mindee I you know what I mean

[FussyElmo]

Surely it would only be illegal/fraud etc if op wasn't accepting the money but she is and wants to put the money in an account for her grandson.

If the ops family want to pay her for the childcare they are receiving and that fee happens to be the the same as what tax credits are paying then that is entirely fortunate for the family and yes she will have to declare it on her self assessment.

But back to the question in hand yes you will probably have to do an lj for him but look at if he ever goes to preschool nursery he will have one to take with him

[bindy]

Nothing wrong with looking after your grandchild free of charge. Lots of grandmothers all other the country do it. I would help my daughter out in the future with childcare, would not even think to charge her, that would be my choice, bussiness would not even come into it! But I do this not only for the money, even though I do make a good living. If your grandson is included and you get paid, you need to follow the EYFS with him. If you get no money for him, you need not. I have a small daughter and I try to do a learning journey, only because I feel guilty spending so much time on the other children's. It's much more than a few photos and pieces of art work!!! Has I understand it, the learning journey does not get passed onto the next school, childminder etc it's the property of the parents. My friend looks after her grandchild, its true Ofsted was not so interested in the work she had done for him! Don't understand why not?

[HELEN10]

Surely if he is on books but u not taking any money u are losing out as you still need to declare it for tax credit and your taxes?

But yes all eyfs has to be done regardless of relationship as in your care he is my your grandson he is you mindee I you know what I mean

Yes this is what I was thinking, the amount your daughter is claiming will have to go down on your income received record.

[Angela234]

I look after my grandchildren and have always done them a LJ
I personal do not except any monies for looking after them I feel very lucky being in a position to spending so much time with them I do understand some need the money for the space they take up.

[leenie]

Hello everyone, I have been childminding now for 3 years and I love it! My 7 month old grandson's mother has just returned to work. I am looking after for 3 days a week,
and yes I'm still in ratio. However, she is claiming for childcare and is insisting of giving it to me. I dont want it, and shall probably open a savings account for my grandson with it. What I want to know is, do I still have to plan, observe and produce a profile for him or can I get her to sign a waiver saying she is happy with my verbal input? Will this satisfy Ofsted do you think? I found when I was doing my planning for next week I automatically included him anyway, but I really dont want to bother with another profile!

I love this site. I dont come on here very often now, I'm just too busy, but I know if ever I have a query you are all here to help! Thank you ladies (and gentlemen)!

Hi I also childmind my grandaughter on my inspection a few months ago was told by the ofsted lady that she wasnt there to do an inspection of my looking after her as she is family and didnt have to do any learning journals or have any consent forms ect as she is family and although she is counted in my numbers she wasnt really interested in her ? hope that helps and that was my experience from her and got good and outstanding in a few areas x

[eviesnanny]

Thank you for your replies. What I charge for 3 days a week is not covered by the amount they receive from tax credits. They will be making up the difference themselves. I will be putting the full amount through my accounts and will pay tax and insurance accordngly.Then I will put
the money in a savings account for my grandson. What I do with the money I earn is up to me I think. I will do a learning journey for him too.

[Wheelybug]

Thank you for your replies. What I charge for 3 days a week is not covered by the amount they receive from tax credits. They will be making up the difference themselves. I will be putting the full amount through my accounts and will pay tax and insurance accordngly.Then I will put
the money in a savings account for my grandson. What I do with the money I earn is up to me I think. I will do a learning journey for him too.

I think what you are doing for your family is very kind. My mum and dad did the same for me, when they registered as childminders and I went to work in a pre-school for a brief period. You are right, if you've put the full amount through your books and paid the tax and national insurance, if you choose to put the money away for your grandson that your choice :-)
I just wanted to say that I totally agree with you about the learning journeys. I look after my niece and feel exactly the same way. My sister is not bothered about having a learning journey as she knows the level of service I provide. I've cut back alot of my learning journeys but they still take time, time away from my own family. I agree that your time would be much better spent spending time with your grandchild than completing a learning journey. I know alot of childminders consider them to be a keepsakes, but to me the time I spent working on this wonderful keepsake for other families, is time away from my own children. I don't want them to grown up and remember me doing c/m paperwork the whole time and lets be honest, in 20 years time the children I care for are probably not going to remember me, but my own children will. I'm sure your grandson would much rather you were playing with him too There seems to be confusion about whether of not we need to do them for families, so I do the minimum. I use Orbit which makes it alot quicker and write the observations whilst I'm minding. I don't write long detailed observations, just a couple of sentences mostly.

Cathy x.

[littlemiss60561]

If you are delivering the free / funded entitlement to your own 2 or 3 year old then my understanding is that you should provide evidence of their learning and development in the same way as for childminded children

Can you claim funding for your own child?? I do a lj for my son. Not as in depth but the amount of time spent on other childrens I want him to have one too. And I don't want t forget the little sayings etc!

I think what was meant by the money's was what you choose to do with it but the tax issues with them claiming it and you putting it away. I'm sure you were going to always put it through the books!
And how lovely of you not wanting to charge them.

[eviesnanny]

I think what you are doing for your family is very kind. My mum and dad did the same for me, when they registered as childminders and I went to work in a pre-school for a brief period. You are right, if you've put the full amount through your books and paid the tax and national insurance, if you choose to put the money away for your grandson that your choice :-)
I just wanted to say that I totally agree with you about the learning journeys. I look after my niece and feel exactly the same way. My sister is not bothered about having a learning journey as she knows the level of service I provide. I've cut back alot of my learning journeys but they still take time, time away from my own family. I agree that your time would be much better spent spending time with your grandchild than completing a learning journey. I know alot of childminders consider them to be a keepsakes, but to me the time I spent working on this wonderful keepsake for other families, is time away from my own children. I don't want them to grown up and remember me doing c/m paperwork the whole time and lets be honest, in 20 years time the children I care for are probably not going to remember me, but my own children will. I'm sure your grandson would much rather you were playing with him too There seems to be confusion about whether of not we need to do them for families, so I do the minimum. I use Orbit which makes it alot quicker and write the observations whilst I'm minding. I don't write long detailed observations, just a couple of sentences mostly.

Cathy x.

Thanks so much for your reply Cathy. I work 5 days a week. At the end of each day I am usually too tired to do paperwork, so it takes a big chunk out of my
weekend. Much as I love looking after other peoples children I would dearly like to spend more time with my grandchildren. Number 4 is due on 19th May! x

[blue bear]

Thanks so much for your reply Cathy. I work 5 days a week. At the end of each day I am usually too tired to do paperwork, so it takes a big chunk out of my
weekend. x

Are you sure you can't cut back on some of that paperwork. Do quick obs you can write up in the day, don't do so many every month as you know the children so well, put photos and pictures in but not make links every single time. I cut back in September and claimed back my weekends, planning is done by the children at snack time, daily diaries when they are asleep or we sit together and they tell me what to write by me asking them what they did this morning what they'd te for lunch etc, the children love helping me fill them in. I've taught mine to take photos print them with the pogo and stick them in their lj's themselves, they love doing them for the younger children too.

Good uck with new grand baby in May, enjoy x