Up to €1,000 grant to assist Childminders operating from their own homes?

Do you run childminding services from your own home?

Check out the Childminder Development Grant, it provides up to €1,000 to assist childminders to enhance the quality and safety of the valuable service your provide through the purchase of small capital items such as equipment, toys or minor adaptation costs. The grant is also available to new or prospective childminders with their initial set-up costs.

In addition to the Childminder Development Grant, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs this year also approved reopening grants to both childminders and centre-based services, to assist with the additional costs of reopening during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Government are also finalising a Childminding Action Plan that will set out plans for bespoke training, regulations and supports.

We can help you to find childminding practitioners, for more information click HERE or of course if you are looking for a childminding opportunity search for roles HERE

Setting up a Childminding Service

Here's some points to review if you are thinking of setting up your own childminding service;

Scope out the hours of Service

Decide how you want to run your Childminding service, full-time or part-time?

Research rates

What will your rates be? A good place to start is by carrying out some research into the going rates in your area.

Plan out adaptions that you may need to make to your home

Get your home ready – Child proof the house and make sure you have enough toys and equipment!

Registering your Business?

Find out if you should register with, Tusla or if you can notify your local Childcare Committee.

You must register with Revenue as self-employed within a year of starting.

Garda Vetting

You must get Garda Vetting as a Childminder. Parents of course will expect it and evidence of Garda Vetting for Childminding is a mandatory requirement for registration with Tusla.

Insurance

Make sure you have appropriate insurance.

Advertising

Prepare simple advertising – you can advertise on Childminding websites or put a small ad in local shops, toddler groups or on Facebook. But remember, word of mouth often works best!

Parent Agreements

Develop a working agreement to use with parents. It will help to clarify arrangements so that everything runs smoothly.

You can use your working agreement to discuss the care needed and your approach to managing your service. Maybe you could also allow some pre visits to ensure that the child will settle in.

Best of luck and for further information check out the regulations in relation to pre-school childcare services HERE