I reeally need some advice please,

[jaja]

Hi, i have been childminding for 5 years, up until a year last jan i looked after two girls who were like family ( i didnt advertise i moved house, my dad died suddenly and i had another baby! all in two years!!) I started to meet another childminder and we got on well, i was getting phone calls for childcare and for several reasons they were short term (settling child into area, just whilst parents shifts didnt suit, until child moved to another area ect) anyway just recently all phone calls stop, there is another minder who is basically telling people to go else ware due to my apparent high turn over of children (5 in one year ) (met minder once, not spoken to her and she is always full!) which is not true!!!!

anyway i am desperate for children and not just the caring and the fun side but also financially now as well, my husband is the only wage earner and i now only look after one child two afternoons after school for an hour. I have advertised everywhere docs, petrol stations, shops, hairdressers, internet, website ect what more can i do? I love this job for the children and wouldnt want to leave due to lack of money but things are getting deperate ( i asked friend and she said she would quit if she didnt have any children, but i dont want to) help am going mad and dont know what to do, and who to trust!

Please give me some advance, i am feeling so down at the mo because of this situation, please help

xx

[Pipsqueak]

Hi, i have been childminding for 5 years, up until a year last jan i looked after two girls who were like family ( i didnt advertise i moved house, my dad died suddenly and i had another baby! all in two years!!) I started to meet another childminder and we got on well, i was getting phone calls for childcare and for several reasons they were short term (settling child into area, just whilst parents shifts didnt suit, until child moved to another area ect) anyway just recently all phone calls stop, there is another minder who is basically telling people to go else ware due to my apparent high turn over of children (5 in one year ) (met minder once, not spoken to her and she is always full!) which is not true!!!!

anyway i am desperate for children and not just the caring and the fun side but also financially now as well, my husband is the only wage earner and i now only look after one child two afternoons after school for an hour. I have advertised everywhere docs, petrol stations, shops, hairdressers, internet, website ect what more can i do? I love this job for the children and wouldnt want to leave due to lack of money but things are getting deperate ( i asked friend and she said she would quit if she didnt have any children, but i dont want to) help am going mad and dont know what to do, and who to trust!

Please give me some advance, i am feeling so down at the mo because of this situation, please help

xx

I would update your details at CIS, get along to your network meetings (this will also help broaden your working network), start advertising everywhere (search out the threads on this forum).

TBH there probably isn't much you can do about this person - unless you feel up to a confrontation whereby you politely ask her to refrain from saying these things. Rise above it if possible.

Hope it works out xxx

[jaja]

Hi, I have updated the CIS and no enquires, we dont have a network where i live, there apparently isnt enough childminders to start one either! It a horrible situation to find myself in at the moment, I think i need a miracle though!!

Thanks for your reply

xx

[Spangles]

Could you talk to this other childminder and explain why you have had a few different children? Do you think she's doing it maliciously or is it that she just doesn't know the full story and thinks she's being helpful to families?

If you can talk to her and set her straight she may be a way of getting more work from recommendations?

I would also update CIS too and put an ad on ***** if you haven't already.

I really hope that you get some more work soon.

As I was reading your message about needing a miracle the song 'I need a miracle' came on the radio - I reckon that's a sign and you'll be fine.

Fingers crossed!

[jaja]

I hope your right about the miracle!!!! lol! I put my ad on the ***** yesterday, has anyone had any enquires from there? I have updated CIS and the woman "not recommending me and saying stuff" is the vacancy coordinator thats why she and her friend always seem to be full! i keep saying to her i am really concerned about lack of enquires and dont get anything back. I hope your miracle song good luck thing works!!

thanks for your reply

xx

[Spangles]

No problems!

I have had enquiries from ***** by the way so you never know!

Think positive, your miracle will happen!!!!

[Blaze]

In that case I would definately have a word..if that doesn't work I would go above her...conflict of interest spings to mind!
Blaze

[Monkey1]

Sorry i can't think of anything else to add from what the others have said.
Good luck x

[miss muffit]

Hi We had the same thing vc always sorting out herself and her close friends so now we havent got a vc, we pay £10 a yr to advertise on childminding assocation web site have you got one for your area?
If this minder is bad mouthing you and your reputation a quiet word in her ear might help.
kids come and go for her to say you have had so many in a year is really none of her business.
Do you have other minders in your area? why done you give them a ring and say you have a vacancy and if they get a phone call that doesnt suit them maybe they could pass your name on.
good luck

[Pipsqueak]

I hope your right about the miracle!!!! lol! I put my ad on the ***** yesterday, has anyone had any enquires from there? I have updated CIS and the woman "not recommending me and saying stuff" is the vacancy coordinator thats why she and her friend always seem to be full! i keep saying to her i am really concerned about lack of enquires and dont get anything back. I hope your miracle song good luck thing works!!

thanks for your reply

xx

That is outrageous - if she is the VC then as Blaze says its a conflict of interests, she is using confidential information and abusing her position (I am the VC for my area and wouldn't dream of doing that). I would put in a complaint to her supervisor or whoever is above her.

You say there is no network in your area - how about forming childminders coffee mornings then yourself I can bet there will be a fair bit of interest and some relief from the other minders. There may be a bit of sceptisim at first but all you need is yourself and one other minder at first and keep asking others. Its a positive move as well.

Speak to your development officer as well.

[Pudding Girl]

I would havea word with your development officer ( do you all in England have those??) and ask her advice - if this other minder is gaining work by bad mouthing you ( and presumably others who aren't in her clique) then she needs sorting out ASAP.

Thats disgusting behaviour, I personally wouldn't hesitate in taking this further.

[jaja]

Hi
Thanks for reply, whats the childminding association web site? i have never heard about it, sounds good though. How did you get rid of you vc? There are only four childminders in my village, vc and friend and myself and friend, so my friend passes details to me if she carnt fit them in, although she trys her hardest to work around all parents at the mo she is nealy full herself.

Please email or post how you got rid of yours? the village next to mine is having the opposite problem there vc doesnt take anyone on just passing them on to everyone else and the childminders there all feel guilty. Do anyone else feel that the vc should be a childminder in the area? or there should be a list which the cis send out? or ncma send out? i would love to hear your views, Also please take a look on my website and leave feedback or tell me if i could add anything else which would parents come to see me? it www.jennies-childminding.co.uk thanks for all your support, i really appreciate it, especially at the mo it was 2 years since my dad died last week and this situation is making it so much harder to cope with, so thankyou for your replys and support.

jen

[Pipsqueak]

Hi
Thanks for reply, whats the childminding association web site? i have never heard about it, sounds good though. How did you get rid of you vc? There are only four childminders in my village, vc and friend and myself and friend, so my friend passes details to me if she carnt fit them in, although she trys her hardest to work around all parents at the mo she is nealy full herself.

jen

Jen - I would remain on the vacancy list which i presume works the same as ours and gets fed back to CIS. (Perhaps schemes work differently elsewhere?), how does you scheme work. Ours works - I do the ringround and gather the info that gets fed back to our DO who then feeds it back to CIS (and they update details)
Make an official complaint to your dev. officer about this VC and her unprofesssional conduct and apparant abuse of position. Stay clear and factual. I would also say that she is using confidential information about you and passing it onto potential clients without your permission (she is telling them that you have had a highturnover and cannot "keep" a family) and insinuating that you are a "bad" childminder.

Let you DO take it from there.

[crazybones]

Sorry Jen I have no advice about your VC but just want to say sorry about your dad. I know its hard, my dad died last year and mum died 18 months previous and I had an unexpected baby inbetween just wanted to send you hugs.

[jaja]

Hi

I have to text her once a month to update, and i ask about enquires in which it ensures she answers back, i always get "yes passed number on and your number been giiven" but i know different, i have spoken to higher up and she wasnt interested so taking it higher but heard nothing and feel like she is still getting away with it and i am still suffering, I just hope and prey something changes soon.

Hi annie, thankyou and i hope you are ok, its hard losing a parent and after my dad died my mum had a heart attact last year on the anniversary and this year got admitted into hospital for blood clotts in her lungs! its never ending is it! i miss him very much and although i have good days i still feel like it happened yesterday and hurts. If you want support yourself pm your email and we can talk,xx

Thankyou for all who have answered and given advice xxx

[chez1373]

Ive just been to your website jen and i think its fine i couldnt dind your guest book to sign it thought sorry if you tell me where it is ill gladly sign it,

It might be because im half asleep.....
Ok i feel very silly for asking this but what is a VC?????????
Thanks
Chez

[miffy]

Chez - VC is vacancy co-ordinator

Jen - if this minder says she is passing your number on you have a rght to ask who to and to see the records she keeps. I would ask for the name and telephone number of the people she says she has passed your name on to and I would phone them to check that she had done - if you then find she hasn't I would go to your development officer.

This happens in my area too and it can be really upsetting - on the plus side if the others are all full or almost full the work will eventually come to you. Don't give up.

I'm sorry to hear about your dad too - I lost my mum 18months ago and I know how hard it can be. You will get a lot of support here though - you just have to ask

miffy xx

[jaja]

Hi thankyou for your replys, I have a friend who rang and asked for childcare and she didnt give number out, so now am taking it further. I just hope they do something about it, fingers crossed for me. Its frustrating because i dont understand why she is doing this, i am quite shy until you get to know me but i have always waved or said hi when i pass her at school, it makes you feel like you are back at school! not nice the first time round!!

My guestbook is on the feedback page, hope that helps! xx

Miffy- i am so sorry to hear about your mum, i miss my dad so much he was the one i would turn to if i needed advice or a shoulder to cry on, he would know exaclty what to say and when. When i lost my first baby he supported me completely, i was only 19 and i thought a d and c was an oeperation where they put u under (i am so frightened of going under and not waking up!) i refused and as i was 16 weeks pregnant i had a lot of pain and was rushed back in several times, it was my dad who explain what a d and c is and that everything would be ok, he supported me again when i lost my second and through both my unstable pregnancys, i trusted his advice and loved him for it. I know that eventually the pain isnt so bad, but when? hes in my head every day and esspecially at the moment. Sorry to ramble about my dad, going to stop or i will be in tears!!!


I will keep you all updated to what happens, and again thankyou

jen

xxx

[donnahay0]

Hi, I don't really have different advice from those already mentioned. I do think you should have a quiet word and stick with it - things usually come round in the end, keep advertising.

I know how difficult things must have been for you, I lost my Dad (after suddenly being diagnosed with cancer) in January this year. Still don't believe it really, but have to carry on.

Keep us up to date with how things are going. Everyone is always ready to listen and help if they can.

[angeldelight]

Good advice from everyone

Just wanted to say good luck

Angel xx