Do you want to have a rewarding career, where you can be your own boss, running a business from home, while making a significant impact on children's lives? Then being a registered childminder could be just the profession for you.
You must register as a childminder if you want to provide care for children, you are not related to in your or someone else's home for payment or reward. To register with Ofsted:
- Children should be under eight years of age
- You look after them for more than two hours a day
- You look after them in a home that is not the children’s normal home.
Benefits of being a childminder
- Run your own business and be your boss
- Offer the children you care for a happy and inspirational environment
- See the children that you care for grow and develop
- Work in your home, choosing the hours you work and the services you provide
- Have a career where no two days are the same
- Care for your children at the same time if you have a family
- Meet other childminders in your area and get to know your local community.
What personal qualities does a childminder need?
- An understanding of how children learn and develop, or a desire to learn
- A Commitment to professional development which will include attending ongoing training mostly in the evening
- An ability to work in partnership with parents/carers and other professional agencies
- An ability to run your own business by keeping good records to ensure its viability.
Is there a need for childminders in my area?
You will need to conduct market research to determine if there is a need for childminders in your area. Contact the Families and Childcare Information Team or the Cambridgeshire PACEY (Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years) team to research if there is a demand for childminders in your area. Established childminders already serve some parts of Cambridgeshire whereas some areas have very few registered providers.
Family Information Service Email: fis@cambridgeshire.gov.uk Telephone: 0345 045 1360 |
PACEY Email: childminding@cambridgeshire.gov.uk Telephone: 01223 714 657 |