I am so happy today, my friend has just called me asking if I would start watching her daughter who spends most of her time at my house anyway.

She has been a year at the childminders and she has proven to be the most unreliable person to do the job. Many a time over the past year I have went to school to pick up the wee one, had her on public holidays ( that the child minder said she would have her) went to pick her up early so the child minder could get to her second job as a barmaid on time even tho she signed and agreed the contract with my friend.

The final straw came yesterday when I was out with my friend and her daughter (who is 5) when the wee one decided to tell us that she has taken on another kid who has to sit where she sat in the car, she now sits in the front of the car (without a booster seat) and the little boy sits in the back without one too!!!! We were both really angry as she is a registered child minder and should know better, she makes sure her grand-daughter who she has to is in a seat tho...

The good bit comes with the phone call this morning after she went to work she has been thinking about it and would like me to have her instead and pay me for doing it. I am so excited as it means we don't have to save for the wedding as what I get for doing it will go right to the venue which is the biggest part of the budget. Which means we will have more money to spend on a longer honeymoon :)

I am gutted for my friend and so annoyed with the child minder but had to share how happy I am about the thought of not having to scrimp and save any more :)

thats awful!!! you should report her!!! although fgood for you x it good for the child too as she knows you well and will be comfortable with you xx

I know Kaya, I'm not sure how it works but I just wanted to mention it so she's aware as it can get a bit tricky. Sorry!

you know its illegal to do that unless you are a registered childminder saw it on the news with two police officers they were looking after each others kids while the other one worked, check it out first dont want you getting into trouble

It's soo silly - the whole world has gone mad!!

I'm sure there are way's of getting a round it.
So lovely of your friend to ask you though and even better that it'll help with the wedding x x

i was going to say the same as what has been said. it is illegal to pay someone to child mind your child if they arent registered child minder and i think it is illgeal to pay a member of your family to child mind your child not that it is relevant to you.

i would prehaps go to cab and ask them if it is illegal to get paid to babysit full time. the last thing you want is to get in serious trouble! xx

no-ones goin to know if u dont say u gettin paid for it, keep it between u to that u doin it to help her out and shes not payin u, its stupid and i dont think they know what there on about u can pay someone to babysit but u cant pay a friend to watch your kid while u go to work and they wonder why this world is goin fuckin tits up :@@@@@@@

At the end of the day, what is the difference of have a kid around playing with a friend all day, and you looking after a kid all day.

Their is no difference.My mum watched my friend after school, for nothing as her mum was away working, and even if her mum was on holiday my mum watched my friend, as we were always at my house playing in my room.What makes it ok but you watching some ones child all day not ok unless you are registered, this country has just been flung to the dogs.They should spend more time policing and getting pedo's lifted than moaning about friends helping out friends

Im sorry hunni but if you look after the child for more then 2 hours a day then it is in fact against the law and you could both be fined THOUSANDS!
My mum is a childminder has been since i was a child so more then 30 years and even tho my niece lives in the same house as her if she looks after her because my sister is at work she HAS to put it in her books for when ofstead come round and inspect!..........Ive got this from a website for you to read babe.....

“It beggars belief that Ofsted is now telling parents that a private co-operative arrangement whereby friends choose to take care of each others’ children is against the law. It appears that the stealthy nationalisation of childcare is now proceeding at full throttle.”

The rules were set out in Labour’s Childcare Act 2006 and, in a little-noticed move, regulations were adopted two years’ later.

Adults must register with Ofsted if they look after children for more than two hours on any one day - even if it time is split between an hour in the morning and over an hour at night. It means officials can inspect their homes to vet standards of care and ensure premises are safe. Inspections are carried out every three to four years.

Childminders must also take a course and follow the Early Years Foundation Stage – a new “curriculum” for under-fives setting out a series of targets covering literacy, numeracy, problem solving and social skills. Many official childminders have already been forced out of business after blaming the demands of the EYFS.

The watchdog said regulations covered any childcare carried out for “reward”.

“Reward is not just a case of money changing hands,” a spokesman said. “The supply of services or goods and in some circumstances reciprocal arrangements can also constitute reward.”

It could apply to neighbours regularly looking after their friend's children during the summer holidays or for several hours after school to allow parents to work.

The rules do not apply to adults looking after children in the child’s own home and does not cover "close" family members, such as grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles.

More than 1,000 people have signed a petition on the Number 10 website calling for the regulations to be scrapped.

It came after two un-named mothers were banned from looking after each others’ children. The women, who worked together, had daughters at the same time and decided to start a job share. Under the arrangement, one would look after the girls for two-and-a-half days while the other worked.

But they were shopped to Ofsted which ordered them to stop.

Ofsted said: “The law sets out that childminding requires registration where a person cares for one or more children for reward and at least one child attends for more than two hours in any one day.

“Generally, mothers who look after each other's children are not providing childminding for which registration is required, as exemptions apply to them, for example because the care is for less than two hours or it takes place on less than 14 days in a year. Where such arrangements are regular and for longer periods, then registration is usually required."

A spokeswoman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families added: “The legislation is designed to ensure that care for children away from the family home meets requirements aimed at ensuring the safety and welfare of the child. These include [criminal record] checks on adults living and working on premises where the childcare is provided.

“The legislation is proportionate - not all childcare is required to register, for example, where it is provided for only short periods of time or where it is provided in the child's own home where parents are in control of the environment.”

Vernon Coaker, the Schools Minister, said: “The legislation laid out by the Childcare Act 2006 is in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all children. However we need to be sure that the legislation does not penalise hard-working families. My department is discussing with Ofsted the interpretation of the word ‘reward’.”

But Dr House added: “What the Government seems incapable of understanding is that their claim to be concerned about the declining authority of parenting is comprehensively contradicted by absurd injunctions like this one, which can only further undermine parents’ capacity to make informed decisions about their own children’s well-being.”

Looking after a child in your home for more than 2 hour's without being registered is illegal, Unregistered childminder's will be prosecuted.

Just found that on ofsted website

what about the bit about being in the childs own home, if i was to do it in in my friends house it would be ok?

There are definitely way's to get around it but what you don't want is someone reporting you and yes as crazy as it is, there are special line's to report unregistered childminders!

In some way's I feel it's completely stupid but they are only doing it for a reason, if your looking after someone elses child all day in your own home you'd want some reassurance that if something happened (god forbid) you'd be covered, being registered you get insurance for this, without being registered you don't and if something happened, you'll never forgive yaself. It's just covering your back really.

But like you say everyone else coped before all these regulation's came in.

The wee one is at mine more than her own house even when her mum is home but I am deffo going to look into doing it the right way, not only will it keep me right & legal it will also give me a chance of looking after other kids and getting a better income. Before the phone call I was wondering what I was going to eventually get a job as, now I am thinking this is my answer.

Thanks madison :) x

And you can still look after your friends child whilst you're in the process of registering. Good luck hun, it'll be great and think of the wedding money wohooo x x

Thanks Hails, that was interesting reading and now the more I think of it the more I want to do it properly. Don't get me wrong if I had to I would of registered just for my friends daughter but I am meaning to do it as a permanent job with more kids than one.

babe its ure friend ure havin her kid as a favour u dont have to go through any route if she wants to give u a bit of money 4 doin it fine??!?!?!?!?!?]

i have my npehw all time ( i get paid in the odd bottle of wine now n again though lol)

thats good news for u :-) ur friend can report the "registered childminder" to someone and get her struck off cos by not giving the kiddies seats its illegal and she can get in alot of trouble for it. when my daughter went to a registered one she had to make sure she was following all the rules for the childrens safety which obviously this one isnt doing and shouldnt be allowed to look after kids.( sorry had little rant there) but pleased its gonna help u out :-) xx

Its not hard to become a child minder i went on a short course cost £50. Then you.get your house ofted inspected or just the rooms.you intend to use once you pass the inspection your are.ofsted registered..must also have police checks for you and other.adults in your house xx

Hey Kazza

If you are only looking after the little one at the mo then get all the forms and paperwork done and ensure any chldminding you do for her is legit, then when you are a registered childminder you can make a living off looking after other people's children too. Sounds like the best way forward

Good luck hun xxx