A child-minder can have a huge influence on the children when under their care. On the other hand parents need to feel that the childminder they hire is trustworthy.

Hiring a childminder for your children can have a lot of benefits, but parents can also be concerned about leaving their child with someone else.  So how do parents come about to choosing a childminder to look after their children?  The quality standards that a childminder provides should be high.

Knowing what the parents are looking for will help them in the process of hiring a childminder. Making a list of things will help parents when hiring a childminder, the list can include:

• Set a preliminary visit with the childminder and have the children present. In this visit you can determine how the childminder and child interact together. In such visits questions from your list can be asked and answered.

• Would you hire a childminder through a company? Benefits of having a childminding company is that the childminders will be trained and supervised.
• What is the eexperience of the childminder? Have they worked with children before?
• Qualities of a childminder: there should be a genuine liking in working with children. Parents can ask the childminder what they like about their job and why they choose a career with children.
• Qualifications: what qualification does the childminder have? Important qualification to have is first aid and child psychology modules covered.
• Skills and resources – do you want the childminder to be skilled in arts and crafts? Parents would want a childminder to prepare activities while looking after the child. This helps to fill the day and also such activities can provide essential development.

• Dealing with conflicts: there can be conflict between the siblings. How would the childminder deal with such conflict?

It is important to get to know the childminder you want to hire, by asking the childminders such questions. This will help you in the decision of choosing the best childminder for your family.

References

How to choose a childminder. (2016 , September 02). Retrieved from Families: https://www.familiesonline.co.uk/child/childcare-and-nurseries/how-to-choose-a-childminder

Krista Portelli is a health and social work graduate who now works in a school where she supports children with educational needs. She has an interest in inclusion education and wants to pursue her studies and career in inclusion education.