What are Childminder Agencies?

So the www.foundationyears.org.uk website has published some information on the formation of Childminder Agencies which are being trialled as we speak with the intention of their roll out by September 2014.

Despite a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon in Doncaster, which I could be enjoying in my back garden, I feel compelled to sit and comment because I feel so strongly that the introduction of these agencies will have an adverse effect on both childminding as a profession and the Early Years and Childcare sector as a whole.

Q1. What are childminder agencies? Agencies will be ‘one-stop-shop’ organisations that will help childminders with training, business support, advice and finding parents. They will also provide a valuable service for parents who want to find a high quality childminder.

Childminders can already access training, for those of us that choose to attend, there are numerous workshops run by our (Doncaster) Local Authority which are excellent and cost at most £5 or £10, great value for money and I go on as many as I can.  Incidentally many Childminders don't - will undertaking training be an absolute requirement if you join an agency?  Well it certainly should be...

Business support - again this is available in a number of different ways, LA, PACEY Local, PACEY, HMRC webinars you've just got to access it.  Much of it is free...

Finding parents - well generally parents find you....... where their child is concerned they usually come via word of mouth and recommendation from other parents but where there is the need to promote your business then www.childcare.co.uk, Familiesinformationservice, PACEY and many more do the trick.

Advice - well this generally comes from other Childminders, it comes from being out there  at PACEY Local meetings, Childminding networks, EY Talking on twitter on Tuesdays, at Children's Centres etc....

Parents finding childcare - I seriously question that this is a problem - how many parents are sitting at home fretting that they can't find a high quality provider for their children?  Why would a parent trust a faceless agency more than they would trust a friend or relative who recommended a childminder?