Mum's idea for back-up child care
Published 6 Jul 2011 07:30
3 Comments
A MUM is keen for childminders to sign up to her website with a database of back-up carers.
Kate Mullender from Priestwood had the idea after she and her now fiance struggled to combine their jobs with last-minute changes to child care arrangements.
Miss Mullender, 27, said: "When my first child, Emma, was born I returned to work to continue my career on a part time basis - this was to become one of the biggest challenges to date. I depended heavily on childminders to support me and child during this time which worked well until I experienced childminders cancelling their services last minute due to 'circumstances' or their own children being unwell.
"The pressure or lack of consistent support caused me great personal anxiety and left me feeling uncomfortable with my employer. Not the mention the constant arguments this caused with my partner about whose turn it was to take time off work and whose job was more important.
"I believed that there had to be a solution, I could not be the only mother-of-two in this country struggling with the problem of having childminders to support my work and family. My solution was simple and involved having 'backup' childminder support on hand."
Miss Mullender worked as a customer service adviser for BMW in Maidenhead before and after having Emma, now four, then worked as an administrator for the family support charity Home Start Bracknell Forest before having her son Jack, now one.
While pregnant, she attended evening classes to qualify as a childminder.
She said: "Because I am a childminder, I can see if from both the childminder and the parent's perspective."
Last week, her website www.backupmychildcare.co.uk went live, and childminders and parents are now able to sign up.
Miss Mullender intends it to be a national database of registered childminders, accessed by an annual fee. For every full-price subscription, £1 will go to Sunninghill-based charity Sebastian's Action Trust, which is building a holiday home for seriously ill children and their families.
This article appeared in Villager 05 Jul 11
Have your say. Post a comment on this article.
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LUCYLOCKET
1 post
Jul 7, 08:36
Report commentThere already is a FREE back up child care listings website that is supported by the NCMA (National Childminding Association)
http://www.emergencychildcare.co.uk/about-us/about-emergencychildcare.html
Recommend?
Yes 4
No 5
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katemullender
1 post
Jul 7, 10:59
Report commentHi Lucy,
First of all I would like to thank you for your comment on the article, It's fantastic to get feedback on the new facility. Yes you're right Lucy there is that facilitating service available, however, I feel that as a working parent a £50 charge for the service to be an added unreasonable cost when you may then have to pay a premium rate for emergency childcare. If you were to only use my service once, you will only incur a charge of £3.00 which will entitle you to 1 months membership, alternatively you can sign up for longer without any exit fee or commission charges. Having done a full research project on childcare needs within the south east, results showed a deep seated need for parents and childcare providers to have a more affordable networking facility.
Kind Regards
Kate Mullender
www.backupmychildcare.co.uk
Recommend? Yes 13
No 2
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DodgyNews
33 posts
Jul 12, 18:33
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