Question?

[asa_carter]

Hi

We are planning to relocate from Scotland to England where my parents live.

We have a two year old daughter and my mum would like to become a registered childminder so that myself and my partner can work fulltime.

Is it possibe to have a family member be a childminder and if so are there any conditions attached?

Thanks

[Straws]

Yes you can have a family member as a childminder, but ofsted would expect your mum to have other minded children in her care as well,
Straws x

[asa_carter]

Does that mean that she MUST have other children in her care as well?

I'm not sure that she is keen on looking after other children as she is in her 50's. I suppose it would depend if there where other children in the area that required a chilminder also?

[FizzysFriends]

I thought about this with my mom but as I understood it (though it was 5 yrs ago) was a close relative couldn't be the only child and she would also have to have at least 1 more.

[Noodles]

i dont think your mum needs to be registered to care for her own grandchild alsong as it is not for reward

[Straws]

Your mum could just have one child doing before and after school that way she will be able to cope. Alot of grandparents were becoming childminders to look after there grandchildren and cheat the family tax credits and claim childcare costs, this is why they expect other children to be on the books.

Straws xx

[ajs]

hello and welcome

if you and your partner claim tax credits then your mum can register so you have a registered childminder, if she wants to look after your children and you don't claim then she doesn't have to register

if she does register then ofsted will need her to be aciviely looking for extra children.

[tulip0803]

A grandparent can care for their own grandchild, and be paid, without being registered, as she is a close family member, but you cannot claim tax credit help. To be able to claim tax credits your child has to be in registered childcare. If your Mum became a registered childminder she would have to care for other people's children as well. She could just have 2 places on offer, one for your child and one other which could be an after school or part time but she cannot register to care for only her grandchild.

[ajs]

Your mum could just have one child doing before and after school that way she will be able to cope. Alot of grandparents were becoming childminders to look after there grandchildren and cheat the family tax credits and claim childcare costs, this is why they expect other children to be on the books.

Straws xx

sorry straws why does it mean they cheat the tax credit
alll of the grandparents i know get paid full feess by the parents of the children they look after

[asa_carter]

Yeh thats the idea really. At the moment our daughter goes to Nursery in Scotland four half-days a week and 80% of the cost is covered by tax credits.

My mum has a bad back and hates her job so we wanted to kill two birds with one stone and let my mum look after her and then my partner could work full time instead of part time.

I woudn't say it is cheating the tax credit system. It would just help us all out and enable us all to work which I dont think is a bad thing. Otherwise we woudn't be able to afford chilcare for her. Also she would be with someone who we trust.

[Noodles]

If you want to claim the childcare element of tax credits then yes your mum must be registered and actively looking for other children to care for apart from your daughter. You would also need to check to see if you would still be eligable to claim the childcare element if your partner was working full time as your earnings may be too much

[Straws]

sorry straws why does it mean they cheat the tax credit
alll of the grandparents i know get paid full feess by the parents of the children they look after

I'm not saying grandparents cheat the tax credit system, It was one of the reasons given out when I first went to my induction meeting, There were several grandparents there only wanting to register so there children could get help with childcare costs. It was suggested that some use it as a loophole to claim the maximum £170 childcare costs per child, where they wouldnt normally pay this amount

Straws x

[asa_carter]

Ah ok. Thanks for your help. Is there a minimum amount of hours that the other child has to be on the books for?

Also, how is relative defined? Is it a blood relative or would my partners daughter (my step-daughter) count as another child?

My partner thinks the maximum earnings for the childcare element is about £50,000. We would probably be on about £40,000 max - hopefully. We don't have jobs lined up yet.

[Noodles]

If you were on £40000 you would not get any help at all with childcare costs. You need to phone up the helpline and ask for a calculation as on that wage you probably would not get a lot of child tax credit and definatley no childcare help

[Straws]

Try this website put what you expect to earn in and will give you a figure of what tax credit and childcare help you will get hope this helps http://www.entitledto.co.uk/

Strawsx

[tulip0803]

There is an on-line calculator to see if you qualify

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/calculator.htm

[Angela234]

I look after my grandchildren and also 6 other children i got registered to look after the grandchildren and others love my job and the training and i'm in my very early fifties. Good luck to you mum if she decides to go ahead best thing i have done wish i had done it years ago

Angela

[pinkflower]

I'm newly registered!...Hi to u all!!

I would just like to ask angela234 ,what she thought starting out?......I'm 46yrs, with a 3 and a half yr old,(older children left home)

thanks pinkflower