Why Govt plans will cost more

[rickysmiths]

Well I have four children so I have to deal with four 24/7

I have no doubt I can cope with 4 - dont think I would want to and Im sure a lot of good minders can easily do it - may be tired at the end of the day.

But what about the minders who cant? The ones who dont bother with anything as it is. One accident and WE all be tarred with that brush that we have put children at risk for money.

As I said the increase in ratios for cms in not that bad - under the eyfs now we can grant variations for 4 under 5 and there are people out there who are going above this number. BUT it wouldnt bother me if we lost the increase and the status quo applied if the MORE GREAT CHILDCARE got thrown onto the scrapheap.

And it does need throwing when it say preparing children and not just children babies for employment

Unfortunately there are minders who can't cope with the current ratios and there are ones who don't do anything now. I know some who fit those descriptions but why should that stop a good childminder who can and does from the chance to earn some more money when the care and learning of the children is not in any way compromised?

I know a number of excellent childminders who can for 4 under fives and they are often 4 under 3s. The children are very well cared for, loved and they go out and about. I would hesitate to leave my own children with the kind of minder mentioned before but would hesitate with the ones I know who often have four children.

I do agree with you about the More Great Childcare!

To be honest the thought of the 'Agencies' fills me with far more fear and trepidation than the Ratios issue. It is ill thought through, it will increase the cost of childcare to the parent and decrease the childminders income. It will decrease choice for parents and childminders will have no motivation to excel so childminding will eventually become dull and grey and lake interest. Motivated highly qualified people will no longer see it as a viable career and so they will get less qualified, less motivated people becoming childminders and so the quality will reduce. There will be a certain kind of parent who won't care because it is there on a plate, the Agency will always provide holiday and sickness cover and it will be cheap and they take little interest as long as the child is cared for fed and changed.

The parents who do care will do everything they can to employ a Nanny who can work in their home with their children, who they have some control over as to what is done, who they can motivate to take the children to the activities they want their children to go to.

I fear childminding as we know it now will be all but gone in 5-7 years and I fear for my son and daughter as to what choice at what cost they will have when they have their children. I hope they will be in careers that pay well enough for them to be able to have a choice.

[JCrakers]

I'm with the ratio changes..so haven't signed the petition.

My week consists of
Mon- 4 under 5
Tues - 4 under 5
Weds - 3 under 5
Thurs - 3 under 5
Fri - 2 under 5

Mum of a child who attends mon,tues and weds has asked for a thurs and fri and I've said yes. I'll have to write a detailed risk assessment again, having already done about 8 since September for children swapping or adding extra days for parent work training, funerals, staff sickness at work amongst other reasons that the parents have to go into work.
If I was allowed 4 under 5 which is quite manageable having worked with children for 18yrs then that would benefit me, not for financial reasons (although its nice to have extra money) but I could do the extra days without having to stress about how I'm going to show ofsted how I coped.

[FussyElmo]

I'm with the ratio changes..so haven't signed the petition.

My week consists of
Mon- 4 under 5
Tues - 4 under 5
Weds - 3 under 5
Thurs - 3 under 5
Fri - 2 under 5

Mum of a child who attends mon,tues and weds has asked for a thurs and fri and I've said yes. I'll have to write a detailed risk assessment again, having already done about 8 since September for children swapping or adding extra days for parent work training, funerals, staff sickness at work amongst other reasons that the parents have to go into work.
If I was allowed 4 under 5 which is quite manageable having worked with children for 18yrs then that would benefit me, not for financial reasons (although its nice to have extra money) but I could do the extra days without having to stress about how I'm going to show ofsted how I coped.

Yes but I dont think you can look at the proposal and say oh I like that bit that suits me but I object to that bit.

I think as I have said many times and keep on saying I fighting the proposals for the children and if we lose the increase in ratios that would be ok. Not that it affects any minders who are at the min looking after 4 if the status quo remained.

[bunyip]

The document comes from an MP who got her ministerial seat by convincing a right-wing think-tank that she could put us back in our place, teach the entire childcare sector a thing or 2 and reduce the cost of childcare without it costing government a penny. After all she's got a career: we, OTOH, only exist to make sure people with "proper jobs" can put in the maximum hours.

It's led by money, driven by money, and is all about money.

i think there needs to be a lot less: Money, Money, Money

and a bit more: Children, Children, Children.

(....no matter how much we like Abba.)