Childminder
Childminders provide approximately 80% of childcare in Ireland. They offer a much needed service to parents / carers in employment, education and training. The role of the Childminder is to provide a safe, nurturing environment and to offer home based childcare to one or a small group of children.
A Childminder should:
- Respect and acknowledge that parents / carers are the primary carers of their children;
- Be aware that children need to feel welcomed, respected, safe and secure;
- Be sympathetic, tolerant, kind and act fairly;
- Have knowledge and experience of working with children;
- Have first aid training and be able to deal with emergencies;
- Understand the developmental needs of each child;
- Relate well to both children and parents / carers;
- Be able to listen effectively to the children.
As a professional a Childminder should:
- Consider participating in childcare training at every opportunity which will give greater self confidence in your skills and the service you provide;
- Have a professional approach to working in partnership with parents / carers;
- Provide activities and play opportunities that contribute to the individual child’s experiences, learning and development;
- Provide equality of opportunity for all the children;
- Be aware that some children may have special needs and work in partnership with parents / carers to ensure that each child’s individual needs are supported.
If you are considering Childminding as a career option for you, then see Childcare Professionals.
If you are interested in pursuing childminding as a childcare option please view the following publication: recently produced by the Office for The Minister for Children under the National Childcare Strategy 2006 - 2010:
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National Guidelines for Childminders (revised edition August 2008) - English version
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National Guidelines for Childminders (revised edition August 2008) - Irish version
We are sure the above publications will be a valuable source of information for you in the area of childminding.
