Variation Request - Advice Please

[lucytownsend]

Hi Everyone,
Writing to ask for a variation for the first time - is this ok and what they want to see?

Thanks in advance for opinions!


Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to request a variation on my certificate to allow me to care for another child in the Early Years Age Group. I would need this variation by the 10th March 2009.

I currently care for a 2 ½ year old boy A and his 8 month old little sister B on a Tuesday and Thursday. I have been caring for them since Mid January after my own little girl turned 1. Their mother has been asked to increase her hours at work and she now needs to work on Wednesdays too. She would like to keep them with me for continuity of care. She also only requires term-time only care as she is a school teacher.

However, I already care for two other young girls on a Wednesday. C (who is 3) I care for from 8 – 5 and D (who is 2 ½) I care for from 9-11.45. We go to a toddler group from 10 – 11.45.

We have come to a compromise that the B, the 8 month old, could be cared for on the Wednesday morning by another childminder friend of mine who lives on the same road as me. We all attend the same toddler group in the morning from 10-11.45.

A goes to a pre-school nursery on Wednesday from 9.30 to 3.30 so therefore I would need a variation that allowed me to have three childminded children in the Early Years Age group from 8am to 9.30am and then from 3.30pm to 5pm on Wednesdays only.

This would involve a half hour in the morning where we are preparing to go to nursery and toddler group where they would be able to free-play and then a nursery drop off in the car and a short walk from the car to the nursery. I have a 7 seater car with 4 car seats appropriate for 9 – 18kg children and a triple buggy for the walk to the nursery. All of the childminded children are capable of walking the short distance but for safety reasons it would be best to have two of them in the triple buggy with my daughter and the eldest minded child walking alongside holding onto the buggy.

In the afternoon D is picked up by her mother from the toddler group at 11.30. I would then be looking after B from 12.00 as the other childminder has to leave to go and pick up other children from pre-school.

Archie finishes pre-school at 3.30 and I would have to go and pick him up, using the 7 seater and 3 9-18kg car seats and 1 0-9kg car seat. I would then be over my current numbers from 3.30-5.00.
We would be coming back to my house and doing structured activities and free play for that hour and a half. I have plenty of age appropriate toys for all the ages present. I also have two separate rooms which are linked by an open doorway and stair-gate which would keep the younger children safe from the older children’s activities but all children would be within my sight at all times.

Child Age AM PM
A 2 ½ years 8 – 9.30 3.30 – 6.30
B 8 months 12 – 6.30
C 3 years 8 5
D 2 ½ years 9-11.45

From this table you can see the overlapping hours would be from 9am-9.30am and from 3.30pm – 5pm. This would be required in term time only.

In the event of nursery closure due to sickness or staff shortages then I would be asked to take care of A all day, similarly if he was under the weather and nursery was not an appropriate place then I would also be asked to take care of him. This would be exceptional circumstances and not usual occurrences so would it be possible to be allowed to care for three children in the Early Years Age group for the whole day in these circumstances.

All of the children know each other from the toddler group and they all enjoy each other’s company.
If you have any other questions please contact me and I will be happy to answer them.

Yours sincerely,

[charlie28]

Thats sounds good, could you get the parent to write a letter to ofsted aswell.

[madasahatter]

Looks fine and as you say it is for continuity of care, though could I just say that you might like to edit your original post to remove the children's names (confidentiality) Use A, B,C etc

[Joannechildmind]

When i wrote to Ofsted for a variation they asked for the full childs names and date of birth to be on the form.
This was 3 weeks ago.

Jo

[sarah707]

There was a recent thread which talked about a form to fill in for variations.

The member had written a letter and received a printed form which asked for the same information a few days later.

hth