Admissions

As outlined in the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, we are restricted to the number and ages of children that we can care for at any one time. We will happily take on any child while remaining within our ratios and will not discriminate against children or their families for reasons such as race, religion, gender or ability. However, if your child has additional needs, please discuss them with us first so we can make every effort to undertake suitable training and adapt our setting.

Before registering your child’s place at Snuggle Bugs we will need to:

• Be sure that we can meet your child’s needs.
• Be certain we can follow your wishes without conflicting with the care of the other children.
• Ensure caring for your child would not breach any legal requirements set by Ofsted.

 We have the right to decline to offer a place if we feel the above will not be met. We also are unable to reserve a place for your child until:

•  Forms are completed and returned.
• Fees and deposit or retainer have been paid.
• The contract have been agreed and signed by all parties.
• The trial period has been arranged.

During the admissions process we include a four week trial period as this allows your child to settle and for both the parents/guardians and the childminder to ensure Snuggle Bugs is the right place for your child.  During this four week trial the contact can be terminated by either party without notice being given.

At the end of the trial period if all is well, both parents/guardians and the childminder will sign the final contract detailing an offer of care, an acceptance of our policies and the consequence of either party failing to adhere to these.

Over 8's Child Minding

As Ofsted registered Child minders we are each registered to care for six children under the age of eight years, of which no more than three can be under the age of five, and of these no more than one can be under the age of one. Five year olds are no longer considered ‘under 5’ after the 1st September following their birthday.

We are permitted to care for children aged eight years and over, providing the care we provide for them doesn’t impact on the care for the children we are registered to care and providing it falls within the total number of children we are insured for.

We are happy to mind children aged eight years and over and will provide them with age appropriate resources and a quiet area for studying if required, however we do require that they set an excellent standard of behaviour for the other children in our care. We would never ask an older child to care or look after another minded child. We are fully responsible for all the children whilst they are in our care.

Settling in Sessions

We understand how difficult it can be for parents to leave their child in the care of someone else and return to work. We will therefore work with parents to ensure each child is settled and that parents are happy with the care that we provide.

We like to organise one or two settling in sessions with both the parents and children for up to an hour to ease the child into the environment. These sessions will be free prior to signing the contract. This gives parents the opportunity to provide us with lots of information about their child, their likes and dislikes, routines, favourite activities, how to comfort them if they become upset and how they have reacted when left before. It gives us the opportunity to start to build a relationship with parents and children and to understand both their needs and wishes.

When leaving the child for the contracted hours we are happy for parents to stay until they feel that their child is settled subject to our other commitments. Some children do take longer than others to settle and some settle quickly and then become distressed a few weeks into the placement. We will work with parents to support children through this transition period and make it as easy as possible. It is important to us that parents and children are relaxed and happy in our home and with the care we provide.

Some parents find it helpful to contact us during the day to find out how their child is. We are happy to take calls, but we are sometimes not able to talk for long, or even to answer the telephone if we are attending to a child’s personal needs, for example, so please do not panic if calls are not answered.