Going to talk to big wigs

[MacFi]

Hello
I have been invited to take part in a roundtable event with Ministers from the Department for Education and Department for Work and Pensions on Tuesday as a childminding representative.

I have only been minding for a two a half years so I need your help please!

The commission is on the affordability and availability of childcare. Ministers are keen to hear directly from interested parties about:-

Identifying any regulation that burdens childcare providers unnecessarily because it is not needed for reasons of quality or safety.

So come on what do you think I should say on behalf of childminders?

[sarah707]

Wow that's an excellent opportunity to talk about how important childminders are in the early years agenda and how we must not be sidelined!

Have a good read through all the deregulation threads here -

http://childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/...splay.php?f=94

Have you seen the commission call for evidence? It went on line a few days ago and is closely linked to your question -

http://childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/...d.php?t=105426

A few members are working on some sample answers - if you bear with us a little while we'll be posting them on the forum - they will give you some ideas.

Hth

[MacFi]

I really enjoyed last weeks visit to the department of education but I was the only non- cbe / obe or dame in the room - very weird!

We had too much to cover and too many people with things to say but it was a positive meeting and a good start, my worry will be they will say that they have had a consultation based on that which didnt even skim the surface.

Everyone was loudly against de-regulation so they would be mad not to listen.

Ho hum off to rewrite my EYFS stuff for september

[sarah707]

Thank you for the feedback MacFi! I hope they listen

[zippy]

I really enjoyed last weeks visit to the department of education but I was the only non- cbe / obe or dame in the room - very weird!

We had too much to cover and too many people with things to say but it was a positive meeting and a good start, my worry will be they will say that they have had a consultation based on that which didnt even skim the surface.

Everyone was loudly against de-regulation so they would be mad not to listen.

Ho hum off to rewrite my EYFS stuff for september

That sounds positive, childminders are the most flexible form of childcare around they'd be crazy to do anything to jepodise the status of childminders, the only way I can see of making anything cheaper is to clamp down on employers that won't give parents regular set shift patterns as childcare providers then have to charge for a full time space.