Hard to fill full/part time vacancy

[johanna77]

Hi everybody

Just wanted to know if anybody out there is finding it difficult to gain any interest in filling spaces you may have. I've been minding now for nearly three months and have advertised extensively, posters in car, leaflets drops, shops, local swimming baths. local sure start centre and no interest. I'm not able to advertise through doctors or library as they won't allow it. Thinking this may be due to the credit crunch, or maybe not thinking outside the box enough. I'm trying to hold off doing a school run until i've had my first inspection but may get int touch with local school soon, but really need this 2nd place filled asap. I filled the first place through a family contact. would be interested in other poeple' s point of view on this. i'm in the Sandwell area, West Midlands.:)

[deeb66]

I think it varies from area to area.

It also depends on how many childminders there are in your area and how many are advertising vacancies etc.

It sounds like you are doing the right sort of things to attract the work. The only other thing I would suggest is getting out to groups and meeting up with other childminders, mums & carers.

I belong to several groups and if one childminder can't help a parent then we refer onto to someone who can and a lot of childminder spaces is filled that way.

HTH

[peanuts]

some areas have too many childminders with more still registering.:(

[miffy]

It does sometimes take a while to fill vacancies especially when you first start out and aren't known as a childminder.

Are you registered on the Family Information Services register? Do you know if there's a local childminder's group you could join - other childminders may be able to pass on work to you if they are full

Good luck and don't give up yet :)

Miffy xx

[tammerisk]

i been registered for 3 year had two inspections andi still only got one part time term time and two school holiday mindeee

it is hard i have lost one before christmas due to job loses

i have had a flow of mindees since i registered

i out at group and meeting people and everyone knows i a childminder but still no work

it hard and getting harder still

in oct if i don't get another mindee i will have to go back to work full time to pay my bills but there are no jobs about i been looking

so not sure what to do

my partner has just been put on 4 day weeks now which is really hard losing 80pound a week

if it carries on and the morgage goes up even a little we up :censored: street

hope it works out soon but alot of peole are in the same boat if not worse

[singlewiththree]

All my enquiries have come from family info link (*************.gov.uk) website and I keep making sure I'm in the top 3 childminders by updating my listing. They then visit my website. Do you have one? The only mindees I have are friends or family related at the moment.

I also have postcards in the local postoffices and everyone I talk to I tell I'm a childminder then its just a waiting game.

good luck