Childminding networks ?

[Ruthierhyme]

How involved in your childminder network are you ?

Do you wish there were more get together opportunities, contact information available or help locally ?

[sarahnev707]

Hmmm well I've just joined mine - we all had to do NCMA quality first and we need to attend 6 training sessions a year

There are some fab resources in the children's centre we can borrow and there's a daytime group for us to meet up (open to any childminder in the area). The group leader was really supportive when I needed her recently as well

I'm really frustrated though cos I want to do more.... like linking up with local schools to offer a wrap around service for parents but there are only 2 minders in the town who've joined the network so it's a bit of a non-starter!

Sarahx

[buildingblocks]

I am the opposite as I have just left our network.

A number of personal reasons one of which was that i kept telling the NC I was struggling with my normal planning and felt that further planning for accreditation would mean more problems for me. I felt like i was talking to a brick wall. ALso everyone was very cliquey and it wasn'y what I thought it would be.

love Kate
(apologies in advance for my awful spelling)

[Ruthierhyme]

Hi Kate welcome to Silkysteps

It's very sad that the network wasn't capapble of the support needed to help with your paperwork. Have you still got contact with any others that may find themselves in a similar situation ?


Enjoy the site & make yourself at home ..

[sarahnev707]

Hi Kate

What help do you need? You only have to ask...

Sarahx

[buildingblocks]

Thank you for such a warm welcome.

I am hoping to get on here a little more often (sorry terrible grammar there). There just aren't enough hours in the day.

Sarah the only thing that will help me is to have all my planning given to me - already done. I can find the activities it is just putting it all onto paper that I struggle with.

To be honest the plannig was a genuine but also useful reason to leave the network. There was a lot of undercurrents and things going off in the background and I couldn't work with the NC knowing what was going on

love Kate

[watgem]

Hi Kate sounds like an awful experience. We don't have a network if we get one I guess I'll keep an open mind, but if the 3 tier system comes into being I might not be allowed to be very involved!

[Sue71mac]

I am a member of a network - I am also the secretary! Our network works really well and is not at all clickey. We all muck in and help each other out and get lots of support for our NC. We are lucky enough to be able to arrange sessions to help with things like planning if we are struggling or the NC will come to our homes. We are able to access funding for training that non network members have to pay for so for me it has been worth joining as I have managed to get a lot of training under my belt for free! We are also funded for attending the NCMA national conference and regional meetings.