2 Sept 2013: is this a new chapter in childminding history?

[Simona]

Sept 2013 is finally here...
today is the new autumn term and with it come many changes for cms....some aspects of More Great Childcare and More Affordable Childcare kick in

Today 'agencies' start their pilots...we will eventually be told the names of those who eventually wish to take over the regulatory role from Ofsted...will we be surprised? stunned? worried or happy?
Today or in the near future we will be told the various' models' of agencies that can be set up...will there be a model that allows 'independent' cms to join an agency and remain Ofsted registered and, therefore, Ofsted inspected?
what a thought...but why not?

Today, somewhere in England, 'childcare hubs' are already taking shape...what are they? how will they affect cms?

Today the Statutory Guidance 'should' allow cms to draw funding, if they wish and if they fulfil the DfE criteria, ending several years of inequality
Today those cms who decide to draw funding also face a question of sustainability because for many many thousands of cms this is a drop in income we can hardly afford

Today the role of the LAs is supposed to change...do we actually know what is in the pipeline? who will support us? who will train us? where are the LA people who for years supported us?
Today we are not sure what will happen to childminding Networks if our LA have their supporting role withdrawn
Today many LAs may announce they wish to pilot an agency therefore taking on a new supporting model

Today many schools will re-open and possibly start planning to extend their wraparound care and holiday care...
how will this affect cms services? will this mean cms may lose that precious accolade of providing continuity of care?
Many schools will start considering taking 2 year olds...it may take time but which children will cms be left to care for in future?

Today many cms will don their newly and much talked about title 'independent childminder'
Are we?
what are we independent of when we are still legislated by the DfE and regulated by Ofsted, therefore, very dependent on them to run our businesses and practice and keep up with compliance?

Will those cms who intend to join an agency lose their 'dependence' of Ofsted from the moment they are allowed to register with an agency?

Will remaining independent cost cms as much as being registered with an agency?

Does today mean anything different to you...what do you think will change, what should not change, what does the future hold for cms?

Positives and negatives are equally balanced!...and I have not even mentioned Ofsted...what does the inspectorate have in store for us?
What is in store in the future for the revised EYFS and Development Matters?

The journey started exactly a year ago when E Truss became Under Secretary for Childcare and when Sir Michael Wilshaw announced 'cms are too expensive to register and inspect'...things have certainly moved very fast for the EY sector but particularly for cms.

We have been overloaded with consultations, petitions, new guidance, changes everywhere and many more to come...we have argued and debated, we have written hundreds of letters but...are we anywhere near being clear what is going to happen to cms?

A new chapter indeed and it will take time to draft, review and finally pen down!

[Kiddleywinks]

Unsettling and uncertain road ahead that's for sure x

[Mouse]

September is here. It should be the time for us to find out about all the anticipated changes. It should be the time when we find out what's happening with agencies and local authorities and funding.

But still we know nothing, do we? We're still hardly any further down the road to discovering how these changes will affect us. Why the secrecy? Is it because the government wants to spring it on us? Is it because they haven't actually been bothered to sort out the facts yet? Or is it that they haven't got a clue how it's all going to work?

I was looking forward to Sept and an end to the uncertainty. We might not like the changes, but at least we'd know where we stood and what we were battling. Instead we're left to carry on wondering and speculating. You do have to wonder when we will hear anything new.

[Simona]

I keep emailing my LA for news and will do so until I get an answer

If anyone gets EYE look for the article in the October issue out today by Sue Robb of 4Children about agencies...very worrying.
She talks about

- potential 2 tier system
- concerns that cms who prefer to remain independent will be viewed as suspicious by parents
- concerns about cost of registration and cost to parents
- 4Children is in favour of innovative ideas to make life easier for parents
- we should not dismiss the gains that agencies could help deliver to families
- benefits to parents of cover when their cm is unwell
- cms freed from having to fill vacancies because of the parent matching
- reducing bureaucratic burden on cms
- participants in the pilot will be chosen by the DfE and 4 Children will facilitate the trials
- learning from the trials will be shared by participants and more widely to inform further policy
- 4Children will watch the trials with interest in the hope they will produce the insight we need to introduce a flexible cm agency model, which will be welcomed by cms and alleviate some of the pressure of family life for parents everywhere

This is a nightmare!
If this worries you let us have your comments!!!

I am off to write to Sue Robb as I want to know what expertise she has on cms and why 4 Children have received so much funding from the DfE