Of course, this article ( http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3110689/Parents-reveal-nightmare-childminder-horror-stories-Reddit.html ) enraged me…..I will admit to start
with that I don’t usually read tabloid newspapers because as a rule they
over-exagerate, sensationalise and often print material that leads to
misinterpretation. Today, however, I
happened to come across this article when one of the professional associations
who represent my vocation (Professional Association for Childcare and Early
Years PACEY, on this occasion) had written a response and directed me to the
Daily Mail website. Thought I ought to
have a look…..
Well the article itself was enough to set us back years in the
public’s perceptions of Childminders.
The article refers to a number of different childcare providers and I
can’t even pick out the one that is an Ofsted Registered Childminder in the UK –
I will admit I haven’t read all the comments on Reddit only what was reported
in the article. The article is clearly
jumping on the bandwagon as ‘childcare’ is obviously a buzz word at the moment.
“Shame on you Daily Mail”. With Early Years and Childcare Practitioners
morale and aspiration at ‘tipping point’ according to a recent survey conducted
by PACEY then this is quite frankly not what we need.
There are many different types of childcare mentioned in the
article but, sadly and misleadingly the headline mentions Childminders. Childcare comes in the form of registered and
non-registered providers.
Non-Registered or
with Optional Registration
Nannies – these do
not have to be registered with
Ofsted if they are working in a child’s own home. That said, many do, in the interests of professionalism,
commitment to their vocation and so that parents are able to claim help with
childcare costs.
Babysitters – there are
no regulations whatsoever which cover babysitting and this should not be
confused with the professionalism required to be an Early Years and Childcare
Practitioner.
As you read on the tone turns to ‘mom’, ‘daycare’ and quotes
daily fees in US dollars. To confuse
anything that happens in the US with the UK is just simply misleading and
should not have even been included in the article.
Professional Early
Years and Childcare Practitioners registered with Ofsted
Some nannies, as mentioned before.
Nurseries are also included in the article it seems. To have 15 x 2 year olds would be way beyond
the statutory ratios for a Childminder even if three practitioners were working
together – the maximum for childminders would be 9 so this leads me to believe
that this person is referring to a nursery.
Nurseries follow the Statutory Guidance for the Early Years Foundation
Stage (EYFS) and are registered as Childcare on non-domestic,or sometimes,
domestic premises. The lead practitioner
in a nursery must meet certain qualification criteria and a % of other staff
must meet certain qualification levels dependent on the ratio of children to
practitioners that they wish to care for.
Childminders – Ofsted registered Childminders are
professional Early Years and Childcare providers who follow exactly the same
Statutory Guidance as nurseries – the EYFS.
Their care is home-based. Their
qualifications range from the Statutory Minimum to much much more. As a bare minimum a Childminder would have completed
a preparatory course for home-based childcare which is approved by their own
local authority counts as 4 credits at Level 3 and a 12 hour Paediatric First
Aid Certificate. They will also have
been inspected by Ofsted prior to starting their practice. Many childminders are qualified to much more
than this such as Level 3 in a relevant course and some, such as myself have
achieved Early Years Teacher Status (at level 6) and/or other post-graduate
qualifications such as Masters degrees.
Some readers’ comments, put simply, highlight the lack of
knowledge there is about the whole sector and why the whole Early Years
Education and Childcare system needs a complete rethink.
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