Herefordshire’s childminder network given thumbs up for top standards

Herefordshire has some of the best childminders in the country. The local childminder network run by Herefordshire Council has just been given the thumbs up by the National Childminding Association (NCMA) for a further three years.

Childminders work in their own homes, providing care and education for children of all ages, from very young babies to teenagers.  By law, all childminders who care for children under the age of eight must be registered with Ofsted and subjected to regular inspections in the same way that nurseries and pre-schools are.

A childminding network is a group of registered childminders supported by a network co-ordinator who is employed to manage the childminders and work with parents and local organisations that use the network’s services. 

To become part of Herefordshire Council’s network, childminders have to go through the National Childminding Association’s quality assurance scheme Children Come First.  The scheme involves learning about children’s development, the importance of learning through play and how this can be stimulated to give children the best possible start in life.

Once accredited, network childminders can offer parents and carers foundation stage education, providing them with flexible choices over where they access their nursery education fund entitlement.

Herefordshire’s network and the way it is managed is inspected by the Nation Childminding Association (NCMA) who visit every three years to make sure the standards remain constant in the network for reaccreditation. The network has just been given the thumbs up for a further three years; the NCMA assessor reported that Herefordshire’s childminder network is strong and delivers a high quality service to the childminders, children and families of Herefordshire.  The assessor also noted that links have been established and developed with the county’s nine children’s centres, and that services provided are professional and developed specifically to meet the needs of local families.

Councillor Jenny Hyde, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “Herefordshire Council’s childminder network is growing from strength to strength.  We now have 35 members and as more people than ever before want to become childminders, many from professional backgrounds, we anticipate the network will continue to grow.

“We are clearly delighted that the network has been reaccredited.  By making sure we have a strong professional body of childminders in Herefordshire, we are able to provide parents and carers with choice. 

“Looking after very young children is becoming a career option for many as learning and development during the early years becomes more widely understood.  Three of the county’s childminders have gone through a system of training and support to turn them into early years professionals and are able to provide support to other childminders as a result.

“As children grow and develop, we find that many parents and carers continue to employ their childminders.  They build up long lasting relationships with the children they look after staying with them as they grow from babies to young adults needing help with homework at secondary school.”