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The government proposal for Childminding Agencies (as set out within More Great Childcare) remains a real possibility and the government are pushing ahead with the pilots from August 2013 – March 2014. With first evaluation in early 2014 and final evaluation in March 2014.
These pilots are not actually full blown pilots as there are elements that can not be piloted due to the fact that it is not legally possible to do so.
It is thought that some childminding networks will be used as a base for the pilots which will not provide conclusive evidence as networks are different in many ways to agencies.
It is also thought that some aspects of the pilots will be ‘paper based’ – so discussion and ideas – rather than actually trying things out.
There is concern that these pilots will not produce sufficient evidence to say if childminding agencies are viable, sustainable or will achieve the intentions stated by the government.
Information from the government is rather lacking – certainly not a lot of detail. One thing is clear though – there is no government funding available and so childminders (and quite possibly parents) will have to cover all the costs – including the profits of those who set up the agencies.
Meanwhile, the Children and Families Bill – which is where the legal changes needed are being put through, have reached the House of Lords – and so have passed through the first stage which was through the House of Commons.
The major organisations which represent childminders do not believe that childminding agencies will achieve the governments aims and will create a two tier childminding sector – with some childminders registered with Ofsted and some registered through an agency – and not through Ofsted.
If you are against agencies – please take a look at the Stop, Listen, Consult petition Link to petition and if you agree with the call to the government to STOP the implementation of More Great Childcare, to LISTEN to the concerns of parents, childminders and childminder organisations, to CONSULT fully before moving forward – to sign the petition.
If you think childminding agencies are a good idea – please add a comment in the comment box on this page, because so far no one has publicly said they are in favour and if so the reasons why. It is important that a balanced view is given, and all sides of the discussion considered.
If you click on the menu – you will find other pages with information about childminding agencies
ONE VOICE 
I don’t intend joining an agency, I have been doing this for over 15 years, I don’t need an agency telling me how to run my business!
I will not be joining an agency,I have been a cm for 20 years I don’t need an agency telling me how to run my business .
I do not want to join an agency after 16 successful childminding years but am very concerned that my business will suffer if I dont. Will I be able to claim 2, 3 and 4 year funding, will parents be able to get the childcare tax credits, will I get any support from any where else (other than like minded childminders), training etc etc etc?
I will remain independent and proudly so.
I have managed my own business – successfully for many years now, I do my own ‘matching’ of clients -ensuring the dynamics work, I am able to arrange ‘back up care’ for my clients, I am able to set my own fees and collect them – successfully. I offer 2/3/4 yr old funding exceptionally well and have done for many years as well.
I have many concerns about this agency idea – where will I get support and training from, and the biggest thing that concerns me already is the inferrence that minders within these agencies will be quality straight away – meaning that those who chose to remain independent aren’t. Who will be promoting us. Will parents be scared to use us. A two tiered system is rapidly coming up.
I do not want to join an agency
I have been a childminder for less than a year. I am disgusted with the proposals put forward by the government and I will not be joining an agency.
I wont be joining an agency and am concerned that those of us who chose not to do so will be left without support and access to training and networks through our local authorities. I have a great local authority early years team and volunteer with them to offer FREE peer to peer support.
I want to remain as an independent childminder. I worry about the prospect of a 2 tier system and those that remain independent are at risk of not being able to access training or support.
I will not be joining an agency as I am very happy to run my own business the way I like it. Along with others, I am also concerned about the consequences of NOT joining an agency.
I have run a successful Childminding business for 17 yrs and don’t see any benefit in joining an agency. Will not be joining one.
I dont want to join an agency
i have been a childminder for 5 years and i will not be joining a agency .. its my own business and i will not let anyone take over any aspect of it.
I don’t want to join an agency 😦
I have been a childminder for 18 years and have had a few lean times. I do not want to join an agency but I am extremely worried about how high the govt will set the cost for being inspected by Ofsted. If it is too high then any childminder going through a lean time will have no choice but to join an agency if they cannot afford to pay for an individual Ofsted inspection. I also worry whether, once you have joined an agency, you will then be able to opt out at a later stage when you can afford an inspection by Ofsted?
I will not be joining an agency. I too am concerned about the consequences of not doing so as there has been no clarification as to what being an independent childminder will actually mean. We are also a long way from knowing what the benefits would be. At the moment I can’t see any.
I will not join a agency . I’ve run my childminding business for many years now ,I want to stay independent . It’s just the governments way of making money of people who really can’t afford it . I believe many childminders will stop working, then where will parents find good quality care that’s flexible to there needs . The economy will stop working .
I will not join an agency, I have been a child under for 10yrs and would rather give it up than join one.
Sandy Thompson I have been childminding for 26 years and will not be joining an agency!
Agencies are an added middle man which will increase costs to parents, not decrease them. Childminders are SELF employed and we love love love our thriving little businesses.. we love those in our care and strive to meet their every need. We do NOT need to have a third party telling us which families to enrol, how to send an invoice or what we should charge. NO TO AGENCIES! YES TO INDEPENDENCE.
Someone is going to have to pay to run these agencies. I believe they will take money from us and the parent. This will undermine our profession. We don’t need a middleman we need to remain independent. Agencies will prevent us taking on children directly that have come to us via recommendation or just because the parent already knows us.
I will not be joining an agency, I am an independent, self employed CM, we are very lucky where I live to have excellent support from our Local Authority but that is been eroded annually due to cuts. What use will an agency be someone will have to pay for it and it won’t be me the cost will have to be passed to parents making child care more expensive not cheaper!
I won’t be joining an agency – I thought the Government wanted to reduce our costs not make them higher – Agencies don’t work for nothing they will want paying and that will end up with parents having to pay more. Ridiculous – AGAINST IT 100%
I have no intention of joining an angency. I’ve been running my business for over 15 years and I think I’m more than qualified to carry on running my business for the next 15 years
Why Change something that already works., I won’t be using it
Totally against the child minding agencies, who would they be? Could it be business men/women who might own nurseries but have no idea how childminding business work and who are currently in direct competition with childminders. I am a Childminder who loves looking after children and them develop in a home environment. I do not wish to be employed by anyone else or have to pay a percentage of my wages to do so.
Absolute no no!!
I am against childminding agencies for all of the reasons given by others above. I have been childminding for 16 years and consider myself to be a successful self employed business woman, why would I want to lose my independence?
Agencies would not be a successful change, expensive and not necessarily in favour of the childminder nor parents. The advantages of a childminder or agency is that we can ensure we meet both the needs of the parent and child. With tax credits lots of parents can get excellent quality childcare. The government would be best suited to ensuring that the childcare funding went direct to child carers and not to the parents, they would probably save a fortune as well.
My husband and I have been childminding for 24 years and have no intention of joining an agency!! We are self employed business owners so why would we pay someone to “run” our business for us? It should be about being unique and individual and parental choice, not a one stop shop!!
I will not be joining an Agency, but I am concerned that independent Childminders will then have no support /training or be able to claim EYE funding.I am in Hampshire and supposedly we have had a pilot running here since the summer??!! I have no knowledge of this !
I will not be joining an agency
Everyone says they won’t join an Agency, so if we all stick together there won’t be a problem..
NO NO NO NO, I will not be joining an Agency, how can they know what the job is about sitting in an office. Id rather give up, honestly it not going to work.
I have been a child minder for 23 years, and I am appalled at the way Ms. Truss is riding roughshod over a multi talented work force, I have received her letter and it is nothing short of piffle. I have faced all the challenges presented to me in my setting with all the changes the child minding sector has had to accept, but SORRY NO AGENCIES FOR ME, HOW DARE THIS WOMAN MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT MY FUTURE???? I would dearly love to meet the people that she says she has already consulted , she has not done anything of that sort in my area….. so far.