Choosing childcare is one of the most important and difficult decisions you will ever have to make regarding your child. It can also be quite daunting. MoorMums has spoken to local child-minder Jo Taylor to find out more about choosing a child-minder and the advantages of child-minding for you and your child.
Jo is a mother of 2 boys and an Ofsted registered childminder. She would like to take this opportunity to provide you with some of the reasons why I feel that a childminder is an excellent choice!
Why choose a childminder?
* Childminders provide a quality, professional childcare service within a home environment. This can often be less daunting for small children than in a nursery where there are many other children and lots of adults.
* Your child will be looked after by the same person every day leading to fantastic continuity of care. Parents will also have the satisfaction of knowing they are dealing with one person whom they will get to know really well.
* Because childminders only usually care for small groups of children at any one time, they can easily adapt the care required for each individual child and in doing so can promote all areas of development appropriately.
* Brothers and sisters of all ages can be looked after together. Childminders can look after children from being very small babies to teenagers, again leading to unrivalled continuity of care for all the children.
Looking for more flexible childcare?
* Childminders working hours can often be more flexible than a nursery, which can be especially valuable if parents work part time or unusual hours.
* Many parents prefer that their child can have far more flexibility to go out and about with their childminder rather than being looked after in the same place all day, every day.
Ofsted and other regulatory checks
* Childminders are regularly inspected by Ofsted to ensure that they meet National Standards set out by the government and are fully insured.
* The childminder and any members of his/her family aged 16+ must hold a current Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau certificate.
* All childminders must also have a current paediatric first aid certificate.
These are just some of the many and varied reasons that Jo feels a childminder is fantastic choice of childcare.
Additional accreditations
Childminders can also choose to become registered with Bradford childminding network or Quality Assured. This means the network are visiting every 8 weeks roughly along with spot checks as Ofsted only come in every 4 yrs. The Bradford childminding network offers childminders continual training and check that the childminder has valid insurance and valid First Aid.
Quality Assured childminders can also opt to become Accredited : This means that they can claim the Nursery Education Fund for free places for children aged 3+.
Find a local childminder
If you want to find a list of Ofsted registered childminders in our area then go to www.bradford.gov.uk and search under family services directory.
If you have any questions relating to childminders, Jo would be most happy for you to contact her via the baby chat on the MoorMums website. Her user name is Misst104.
Comments
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MoorMums would like to thank Jo Taylor from Addingham and Mischell Akid from Menston for their contributions.
