being approved - to get 3/4 y/o funding

**kindredspirits** · 10-09-2008, 08:55 AM

Hi,
I'm just curious what you need to do in order to become an approved childminder and be able to accept the governments funding for 3 and 4 year olds? if anyone could shed any light on the matter i'd be most grateful!

**jellytot** · 10-09-2008, 10:00 AM

i would also like to know if we can get the funding

**cloud9** · 10-09-2008, 10:36 AM

i believe we have to be part of a network to become an accredited childminder i did look in to it some time ago but there was an awful lot of work involved including more inspections!

**Tatia** · 10-09-2008, 11:46 AM

Yup, you prob need to be a network minder (that's how it is here) and then your development worker will come round and look at your planning and help you with a SENCO statement. It took me several months because she needed to see the long, medium and short term planning and then come back to see how I implemented it and the obs I did (which she was pleased to see did not matchy-match the medium term plan

). I'm all up and running now and really loving this new level of my work.

**Bumblebee** · 11-09-2008, 08:09 PM

We have just finished our accreditation, and are now members of the children come first network. We had the network coordinator come round a few times to look at planning and observe how we work with the children. She was really impressed by what we do and said it would only take a few of weeks to complete (that was 4 weeks ago.) We can now accept the NEGrant which is great!

Good Luck

**Jules12Wed** · 11-09-2008, 08:13 PM

I only emailed my network co-ordinator a few days ago about becoming accredited. We spoke about when she came round a couple of months back and she left lots of paperwork for me. She did say that it would be doing the same as what I would be doing in any case with the EYFS except there would be an allocated schools worker to help with planning etc.

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 11-09-2008, 08:15 PM

I am a network accredited childminder but try not to do it as the session rate is lower than my normal rate and these sessions have to be free to the parent and therefore I loose money. Not what I am here for!!

To become accredited I had to work towards completing my level 3 certificate, be monitored every 8 weeks, show that I understand and deliver the Stepping Stones of the Foundation Stage (pre EYFS) and this was intense planning - long, medium and short term.

If I go back to it again I expect it to have changed and be very similar to the EYFS final stages. I had to do obs too and these were every activity.

Don't want to put anyone off and re reading this it seems negative - it is not but you need to go in with your eyes open.

**LisaH** · 11-09-2008, 08:25 PM

I was put off becoming accredited by the ammount of extra work and inspections it involves!! TBH it just didnt seem worth it. Also there are no networks in my area.