NCMA launches 'childminder engagement' tool
Janaki Mahadevan
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Children's centres are being encouraged to integrate the work of childminders with a new tool produced by the National Childminding Association (NCMA).
Last September, the childcare charity urged children’s centres to do more to involve childminders after a survey revealed just 15 per cent invited childminders to meetings with centre staff.
NCMA has now launched an engagement tool that highlights ways in which children’s centres can best engage with registered childminders to provide childcare services.
Sue Coates, spokeswoman for NCMA, said: "We wanted to develop a tool to support all children’s centres, from those that are still at the planning stages of involving childminders to those already working jointly with childminders to support families locally.
"Collaborative partnerships between registered childminders and children’s centres have a positive outcome for all involved, including the children."
The tool guides children’s centre managers through the process of engaging with childminders, from identifying those within the centre’s area to how to budget to include childminders.
The tool also provides success stories of a range of services for childminders, including quality improvement schemes and sharing professional expertise between children’s centre staff.
