Award winner Lindsay Barrett, from Southwark, London, says, 'I try to provide an environment that is the next best thing to home. We get to know the families so well we can really support them.' Among the families she has supported is a young father who was widowed and left to bring up his young son.
Lindsay chairs the Southwark Childminding Association. She stepped in when the association was facing an uncertain future. 'Suddenly I found myself saying I would take it on,' she says.
A former commercial artist, she revived members' interests and gave the association a more professional image with a new logo and new newsletter.
She is running a campaign through the local residents' association newsletter to raise awareness of childminding as a career option. The recruitment campaign will go across Southwark in September.
She was also instrumental in securing Sure Start funding to set up three drop-in groups for childminders, and wants to set up 'as many drop-in groups as possible,' because of the quality play opportunities they offer to children and valuable support they give to childminders.
Julie Sussex provides children with continuity of care in a family environment in Newham, London, and like a growing number of childminders, encouraged her husband to become a registered helper.
'I am a governor at the local primary school and we see that children who have had no male figures in their lives find it quite difficult when suddenly they have a male teacher. With my husband as a helper we can provide a real family service.'
Julie also chairs the Newham Childminding Association, working at a managerial level with the local authority early years unit, and representing the childminders on the Newham Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP).
'I do a lot of strategic work with the local authority, particularly with the manager of the early years unit. We discuss issues like recruitment and retention.'
As part of the drive to recruit and retain childminders, Julie is involved in setting up five drop-in centres for childminders. The centres, where possible, will link with Sure Start projects and be funded by Sure Start money.
Jackie Deacon runs PJ's Helping Hands with Debbie Wyatt and Maria Gay from Debbie's home in Southend, Essex, and as part of an early years-accredited network, they provide the Foundation Stage curriculum.
Aware of the shortage of places for SEN children, Jackie and her colleagues underwent training and now provide care for five SEN children. 'I believe in integration. We do not pay lip service here, we get on and do it.'
Six months ago Jackie set up a drop-in centre for childminders. Numbers attending have grown from three regulars to about 15 adults and 25 to 30 children.
She has arranged to have student placements at PJ's and is on a college committee looking at improving the quality of student mentoring. She is also a childminding representative on her local EYDCP.
She runs a holiday club from her home but next summer will run a 30-place scheme from a tennis club in partnership with childminder Greg Smart.
