Would you like to work in
your own home?
Would you like to work hours to suit your own family?
Have you thought about registering as a
Childminder?
What is a registered
Childminder?
A registered Childminder is a
self-employed childcare provider, who works in their own home,
caring for other people’s children.
A registered Childminder is allowed to look after up to 6 children,
including their own, under the age of eight years old.
What are the benefits of
Childminding?
- It can be an enjoyable and rewarding career
- It offers you the satisfaction of running your own
business
- It means you can choose when you work, making you more
available for your own family
- It is a way of earning good money
What would I do as a
Childminder?
You will be expected to provide a safe and caring,
learning environment that complies with the
Early
Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework.
Activities that you do with the children could include:
- Visits to Childminding groups, and parent and toddler
groups.
- Visits to your local Children’s Centre to access a wide range
of services.
- Various outings to local shops, parks or libraries.
- providing a wide range of learning and development
opportunities to meet all childrens needs.
You may also be involved in taking children to and from school
or pre-school.
Why do I need to register as a
Childminder?
By law, you must be registered with Ofsted (the Office for
Standards in Education), if you are being paid or rewarded to look
after someone else’s child(ren) in your own home.
Registering as a Childminder will involve checks to make sure
you are suitable to look after other people’s children and that
your home is safe and equipped for children of the age you are
planning to care for.
I would like to know more, what do
I do next?
Please contact the Suffolk Families Information Service
0845 60 800 33 (cost of a local call) or
email childcare.planning@suffolk.gov.uk
and ask for a Childminder Information Pack. The pack provides
all the details you will need including how to register with
Ofsted and the training requirements.
Once I have registered...
How do I get
customers?
- Word of mouth is an excellent way of informing parents of your
service
- Advertise in your local shops, playgroups, school and parish
magazine
- Thousands of parents contact the Suffolk Families Information
Service to find out about childcare in their area. You can
advertise your details through the service for parents looking for
a childminder
- Join your local childminding group
- Talk to a Childminding Support Officer for further advice and
guidance.
How do I know what to
charge?
You decide on your own rates, but it is useful to talk to other
childminders in your local area, to find out how much they charge.
Generally is it between £3.00 and £4.50 an hour for each child or
more for unsociable hours (evenings and weekends). Some
Childminders offer special rates for families with more than one
child.
For help and advice, please contact
us:
Suffolk Families Information Service
Suffolk County Council
Early Years and Childcare Team
Endeavour House
8 Russell Road
Ipswich
IP1 2BX
Phone: 0845 60 800 33
or
Ofsted
Royal Exchange Buildings
St Ann's Square
Manchester
M2 7LA
Phone: 0300 123 1231
Suffolk Childminding
Network
All registered childminders in Suffolk have
the opportunity to join the Suffolk Childminding Network. The
Suffolk Childminding Network is an NCMA Children Come First (CCF)
Quality Assured Network. Childminders must show they meet the NCMA
CCF standards before they can join the network. Once on the Network
members must commit to at least 15 hours of continuing professional
development (CPD) per year and commit to regular monitoring
visits.
What are the benefits of being part of
the Suffolk Childminding Network?
- On-going advice and support from a member
of Suffolk County Council’s Early Years and Childcare Consultant
Team.
- The opportunity to become accredited so
that you can offer Early Education Grant funded places.
- To demonstrate to parents that you are
offering a high quality service.
For further information on the Suffolk Childminding Network
please contact the Suffolk Families Information Service on
0845 60 800 33.