Information for Childminders
The childminding group is a great opportunity to network and make some super friends. We have many social events through out the year some during working hours with many exciting events for the children and some out of hours fun aswell!. If not already a group member, anyone can join. Telephone Liz Curtis (01476 570875) giving her your Ofsted registration number and NCMA membership number if you have one. (By becoming part of an NCMA group, you get a discount on your annual NCMA fees).
Group membership is in two tiers - full or casual.
Full Membership - Cost is £20 per year, this entitles the member to have an entry on this site plus free entry to all of the group's three daytime drop in sessions. Telephone Tracey Smith for details of how to pay (07591827279)
Casual Membership - Pay £1 per childminder for each visit to either Belton Lane or Wyndham Park drop in sessions or 50p to Swingbridge due to snacks not being provided (although there is a small cafe on site should anyone wish to use it) - please note casual membership does not include entry onto this website.
The next childminders meeting is the AGM on April 20th please email Tracey Smith if you would like further information or Liz Curtis for the previous meeting's minutes if you haven't received them.
Outstanding Childminders: Congratulations to the following childminders who have been graded outstanding by OFSTED:
Yvonne Sellars
Emma Jarvis
Gillian Ebbins
Nicky Rafferty
If there are anymore childminders in the Grantham area who have got outstanding please forward me your name.
Marketing ideas: Please make sure you send your Vacancy Matching forms in, as your details cannot be given out to potential parents from the Vacancy Co-ordinator without them! Also make sure you keep your details updated on www.childcarelink.gov.uk (this is where most of the work comes through); use your free one liner in the yellow pages; you could advertise on your car; put a leaflet up in shops and libraries; or do a local leaflet drop.
Drop in sessions: Belton Lane Children's Centre, every Friday 9.30-11.30am; Wyndham Park Nursery, first Tuesday of every month 9.30-11.30am; Swingbridge Children's Centre, Spitalgate School, every Wednesday 1:00-3:30pm. If you can't get to any of these why not meet up with other childminders in your area, have a coffee morning or set up an activity with the children each week in someone else's house.
Childminding can be a lonely job so get out and about!
Training: the new directory will be out in April and hopefully there will be a few more courses happening on a Saturday. It is hard for us to ask for time off as the parents have to find alternative care, and we lose money. It is a good idea to book off five training days a year when you sign contracts, remembering to say whether you will or won't be charging for them.
Check out the Training page for any Information Sessions etc. that may be on near you.
Discounts: we all love money off and as childminders you can now get 10% off at Early Learning Centre's either by taking your registration certificate into a store or going to their new site for nurseries etc. and entering your registration number. You can also get 10% off car seats at Halfords. I think once again you take your certificate in.
Libary: as childminders we can have a special libary card that allows us to take out more childrens books, and to keep them for longer. Please don't throw away your own card because sometimes they don't let you take out adult books on this card.
If anyone has any other ideas or information they would like to share, please let me know and I'll put it on the website!!
