Questions you may want to ask a perspective child minder when making your choice for your child.
About the childminder
> Are you registered by Ofsted? (Legal requirement)
- How long have you been a childminder?
- What do you enjoy most about the job?
- Why did you decide to become a childminder?
- Are you a member of Morton Michel/ NCMA?
About their training
- What relevant qualifications do you have?
- Do you know how to administer First aid?
- Have you had training in the EYFS and practises when caring for children under the age of 5?
About their setting
- How many other children do you look after, how old are they and how long have you been looking after
them? - Do you have any children of your own? How old are they?
- Can you describe a typical childminding day or week?
- How do you make sure you keep a good working relationship with parents?
- What arrangements do you have for meals and snacks?
Getting out and about
- What would you do in an emergency involving yourself or one of the children?
- Do you ever take the children out in the car, and if so, do you have suitable insurance cover, seat belts and car seats for this?
- Do you and the children regularly go on outings during the week?
- Do you ever go on special trips out?
- Do you have pets or a garden?
Meeting registration requirements
- How do you make sure the individual needs of each child are met?
- How do you support the EYFS (<5 yrs)
- Can I see your registration and insurance certificates?
- Can I see your Ofsted Certificate? (must be displayed during minded hours)
- Can I see any references from parents?
- What do you consider unacceptable behaviour, and how do you deal with it?
- Which festivals and special occasions do you celebrate and how?
Remember that if you phone during the day; the childminder is likely to have children around, so it's always best to ask if it’s a good time to talk and keep your questions short/ call in the evening. If the childminder seems suitable, arrange a time and day to visit.