Awaiting Ofsted...

[Georgiepoo]

Am awaiting my Ofsted visit to be full up and running as a childminder and have been approached by a friend about looking after her little one?
I have explained I'm still awaiting my Ofsted visit etc and she expressed she didn't mind me looking after her little one before hand???
She has no one else to have them come the holidays??? What to do??? Views/advise?

[joannes]

If you charge for childminding then you need to be registered before hand otherwise you're breaking the law. If you are not charging then I think the questions need to be resolved between you and her about what happens if child has accident etc. as you won't have liability insurance to cover this as you're not working so would be like a friend looking after friend's children as a favour. If you do charge and Ofsted or local authority found out you would be banned from childminding and could face prosecution. I have just lost a parent who wanted 3 full days a week and then 4 school pick ups from September as he needed me to have his son from the 14th and I dont have my visit til Thursday. I explained to him that I understood it was horrible trying to arrange childcare when you've found somewhere you're happy but that I'd hope he would appreciate me wanting to do things by the book and that the child's safety and wellbeing was my primary concern. It's not really any different to him finding a nursery he liked that was full with spaces coming up in a few weeks. Massively disappointed over it but I felt it wasn't worth risking my registration or reputation or even worse perhaps, the child having an accident and being personally sued because I wouldn't be insured. Other people might suggest differently on here, or settling in periods etc. but I've been out of work months with my DBS and Ofsted taking so long, am thoroughly skint but I think when I look back in a year or so I won't regret not taking one parent on early but would regret not being granted registration for "working" illegally. Also after re-reading your post to check I hadn't missed something obvious (late night reading and a blonde day on my part already!) if she has absolutely no one to have her child for a week or two til your visit (I'm assumming next week for half term?) then perhaps she might be more a nursery go-er anyway because she needs to consider what she will do during your holidays and in any sickness. Good luck and hope registration goes ok!

[Kiddleywinks]

Personally, I'd be saying no, sorry.
It's just not worth the possibility of losing your registration before you get it
All it takes is one nosy neighbour to report you for minding unregistered, and you could have it logged.
I'm sure the parent doesn't mind you doing it unregistered (which is worrying in itself, yes I know your pre reg, but you aren't actually registered yet - your application could still fail), but if her LO broke an arm or a leg, she'd mind then. And I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be her fault either, it'd be yours for agreeing to have her...

Parents can be very understanding when it suits them, not so much when the shoe is on the other foot

What did she do last holidays?

[loocyloo]

Could you nanny for her in her house?

[Chatterbox Childcare]

Isn't this the same scenario as the two police women looking after each others children whilst they worked? I thought that originally it was a no no but later was overturned and allowed as no payment was given

[Kidston]

See Im in a similar situation, a friend has asked me to mind her child when she goes back to work the end of September but as i havent applied to ofsted yet as im still waiting for my DBS i dont think i will be registered by then.
As shes a friend Im happy to look after her child free of charge until I am registered but not sure if this would be ok?