Help needed...please read me :-)

[nat1664]

Hi all

This is a long one be ready!

Right hear goes... I have been registered since late august and have been advertising loads but have only one mindee so far but hes only about 6 hours per week. I had to leave my job on the 21st december so I have been putting my cards out like mad still nothing!!! I know I have to be patient but this is getting a joke...ha. Im a single mum and things are allready tight, I chose this caree as I get to look after my son all the time now, and after seeing his face this morning when I said that I would be getting him from school it was well worth it

So I have been doing some serching on the net and found this on sure start......

Childminder Sustainability Grant

Funding is available within the new sustainability grant to ensure that childminders serving areas of disadvantage do not stop childminding because of a short-term lack of children. Funding can be used in a variety of ways as long as it increase the sustainability of childminders by addressing their vacancies.

Examples are:

Grant scheme - for individual childminders at the rate of up to £100 for five weeks (with any one childminder able to have up to two payments in any 12 months). To qualify the childminder must give evidence of at least a two week vacancy and advertising of that vacancy, and live or operate within a disadvantaged area;

Providing funds to address the needs of childminders who may have difficulty filling vacancies becuase of lack of suitable toys, customer service or marketing skills e.g. by paying for a childminder to attend a course on marketing;

Creating facilities for marketing childminders and their vacancies;

* Enhancing other support for existing childminders, e.g. new toys in local toy libraries
* Developing buisness skills of childminders
* Employer schemes - encouraging employers to reserve places with childminders and guarantee some income.


Has any one ever come across this before and how would you apply or it an extra 100 quid a week would come in very handy at the moment.

Sorry for going on but theres no one else to talk too.

Nat

x

[Spangles]

I'm sorry Nat but I don't have experience of this so can't help you but wanted to answer to push your message back up again!

Hope someone else can help.

[nat1664]

Thanks Lorri

x

[mrsbumbles]

Do you have a childminders support worker in you area? She would be the one to ask if you dont get any answers here. Sorry i cant help i have never heard of this but would be intresed to hear your outcome.Good luck with filling your vacancies.

[button68]

Hello, sorry I can't help personally but I'm certain I read in a thread recently that Sarah (Sarahnev707) received this grant at some point.

Maybe you could PM her for advice?

HTH

[Monkey1]

A friend of mine did this a while back but they have stopped doing it in this area! sorry i cant help more. Good luck though honey x

[sarah707]

Well remembered button! Yes I got it 2 summers ago... it was to replace the money I had been earning when 3 children left within a week of each other for different reasons - one of those totally unplannable things.

My local Cheshire woman came out and looked at my books for proof of what my income had been and I was asked lots of questions about how I was intending to advertise the spaces and what I had already done to proactively secure more income.

I was allowed to claim for the highest loss of earnings (from one child only) for 2 months only ... so I got an amount in July and another in August. Then it stopped.

Luckily by Sept I was full again.

Hope this helps!

[nat1664]

Ah thanks every one... if things keep going the way they are I might have to look into this a bit more, but its good to know its there if things get really bad, good job I had a bit of savings

[Blaze]

Hi,
Check your area counts as where I live you can't get this. If it was me ( & it has been lol) make some phonecalls & see where you stand & if it's an option or not! Hope it is!
Tasha

[miffy]

Good luck with this nat and let us know what happens

Miffy x

[emma04]

Not sure i'm right but i was reading about this the other day, i've just become registered and have been frantically filling out claim forms and came across it. Try calling your local early years team???? If you have one, which i'm sure most area's do. You could maybe find their number on your local council's website.

Hope this helps

[angeldelight]

Nothing to add really apart from saying hope you get it all sorted you had some good advice from everyone

Angel xx

[nat1664]

Thanks every one

x

[gailee]

hi everyone i was reading this leaflet as well wondering if i too could get this grant ??? because it takes forever to replace children in my area i've had about 10 children in the 3 years that i have been a childminder !! I've lost one in Otober she text me that she can't come anymore because her boyfriend lost his job but she paid me for the 2 weeks notice but she didn't use it? then in september 2007 my nephew reduced his hours because he started pre-school and then his leaving in February his mums on maternity leave and not returning till 2009 so that will leave me with the twins after school 3-6 so thats my work so i should probably phone and enquire ?? oh i had a parent phone me yesterday asking if i could pick up from a school thats 2 miles away from today without seeing them?? anyway told her i couldn't do it because it would be to much if my kids are late coming out of school which is every day specailly the twins they take for ever to come out and then charge down to another school i don't think that would work!!!

[Mollymop]

have you found out anymore about the grant Nat. Hope you are ok.

Good luck Gailee, filling those spaces and inquiring about the grant too, seems like a good thing, if you can all get it.
XX

[LittleMissSparkles]

just catchin up did you find out if you coukd get the grant xxx

[deeb66]

I was wondering too!