Childminders in BFG
Registered
childminders are childcarers who work in their =
own
homes to provide care and education for other people’s children. Registered childminders are
self-employed: they are not employed by parents, but negotiate a contract f=
or
their services for which they charge a fee.
Childmindi=
ng
offers lots of opportunities to develop your career, providing you with the
opportunity to:
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=
Contribute to children’s
development and learning
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Work in partnership with parents and
carers
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=
Provide a valuable service for your
local garrison
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Develop new skills and qualificatio=
ns
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Work from home, running your own
business
Childminde=
rs
are self-employed and it is up to them to negotiate their own rates of pay =
and
working conditions. You will =
need a
contract with parents/carers, detailing what has been agreed. Your local Army Welfare Service (A=
WS)
Childminding Co-ordinator (CCA) or British Forces Early Years Service (BFEY=
S)
Inspector will be able to advise you.
Headquarte=
rs
United Kingdom Support Command (HQ UKSC(G)) is
offering start-up grants of up to<=
/b> £250 to people wishing to b=
ecome
Childminders. This will be
administered by your local AWS office and, on production of receipts,
you will be able to claim for the following:
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Suitable persons vetting (includes
anyone over the age of 16, living in the household)
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=
12 months public liability insuranc=
e
q=
=
Membership of a relevant profession=
al
organisation
q=
=
Administration (ie
Accident Book/contract forms etc)
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First Aid Training
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First Aid Kit
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Fire Blanket
This is a
RETROSPECTIVE grant which you cannot claim until your registration is compl=
ete,
ie you will need to pay out before the grant is=
paid
to you.
Once you h=
ave
received your Registration Certificate and Registration Number from BFEYS, =
you
will be sent a form in order to apply for the grant. Please note that the relevant rece=
ipts
and a copy of your Registration Certificate must accompany all claims.
What Happens If I Stop Childminding – Will I have to Pay Back=
the
Grant?
The start-=
up
grant will be paid on the condition that any registered childminder receivi=
ng
the grant and subsequently ceasing to be a childminder within 12 months of
registration may be required to
repay some of, or the entire grant received.
To become a
registered childminder in British Forces Germany (BFG) you must, by law,
register with the BFEYS. In f=
act
anyone offering childcare services in their own home for a total of, or more
than, 2 hours a day for children under the age of 8 years must be registere=
d. The registration process has 2 sta=
ges:
1st
Stage: The AWS =
will
undertake ‘Suitable Persons Vetting’ checks to make sure that y=
ou
(and anyone else aged over 16 years and living in the household) are suitab=
le
to care for children – this includes a Health, Police, Social Work
Service and Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure. You will be supported by your loca=
l AWS
CCA through this process.
2nd
Stage: Once the
vetting has been successfully completed, the BFEYS Inspector will visit you=
at
home. This is to make sure th=
at you
are suitable to care for children and that your home is a safe, child frien=
dly
place. You will be required to
provide evidence that you can meet the 14 minimum National Standards for
Childminding. Following
registration, the BFEYS carries out regular inspections to monitor standards
and premises.
As part of becoming a Childminder, you will be required to complete
introductory training in childminding and First Aid. Ideally, this should be undertaken=
prior
to registration: however, where this is not possible, it must be completed
within 6 months of your registration.
Your local garrison AWS CCA will be able to tell you how to access t=
his
training. If you want to make=
a
long-term career out of working with children, it is always a good idea to
undertake training courses to further your skills. Your local AWS CCA and BFEYS Inspe=
ctor
will be able to advise you further.
Depending =
on
the space you have available, BFEYS can register you to care for up to 6
children under 8 years old. N=
o more
than 3 may be under the age of 5 years and normally no more that 1 child ca=
n be
under the age of 1 year. This=
will
include your own children. It=
is
wise to limit yourself to the number of children you feel you can comfortab=
ly
work with in order to maintain good quality care, both for ‘minded=
217;
children and for your own family.
Many people
prefer childminding because of the flexible hours, whether it is part-time =
or
full-time. Being cared for by=
a
childminder gives youngsters the opportunity to learn from real-life
experiences. Every-day activi=
ties
like shopping trips, school runs, visits to the park etc teach children
valuable life skills that they might not acquire so readily in centre-based
care. Using a registered
childminder also has the added advantage that entitled families can access =
the
childcare element of the Working Families Tax Credits.
Where Can I Get Help?
Your lo=
cal
AWS CCA is responsible for providing training, information and support for =
new
childminders. You can find yo=
ur
local Army Welfare Service Office telephone number in your local directory.=
BFEYS is
the registering body in BFG. =
They
are responsible for registering and inspecting to make sure you meet the
minimum National Standards for Childminding. Your local British Forces Early Ye=
ars
Inspector’s telephone number will be in your local directory.