Registered as a Childminder?

Contact the Aberdeenshire Childcare Information Service for details of free pre-registration training for childminders, provided through the Aberdeenshire Childcare Partnership. Topics include partnership with parents, taking the professional approach, promoting positive behaviour and an introduction to child protection.

We can also help you with:

Start Up Grants

New Childminders can attract a start up grant of up to £500. This can be used to contribute to the cost of purchasing equipment.

For further information and application forms contact Caroline Hay-Crawford on tel: 01467 894020

Funding Criteria

• Operate for approximately 48 weeks per year
• Offer a flexible service to meet the needs of working parents
• Promote social inclusion and actively encourage participation by children with special needs, or from lone parents low income or ethnic minority families
• Ideally undertake the Pre-Registration training offered through the Childcare Partnership and take advantage of other training opportunities offered by the Childcare Partnership
• Be registered with the Care Commission under the regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001
• Make information about their services available to the Childcare Information Service
• Operate in areas where there is an identified need

Free Promotion and Advertising

The Information Service can help childminders to promote their service when they want to advertise vacancies.

When a childminder informs us that he / she has no spaces, we can 'filter' out callers.

Childminders can find out details about other childcare provision in their area. This may be particularly helpful if a childminder is considering expanding their provision or making changes to their charges.

We ensure that parents are better informed about the services available in their area, such as childminders.

As part of an ongoing marketing strategy, publicity about the service has been distributed to a wide range of establishments across Aberdeenshire, including health centres, schools, workplaces, libraries, pharmacies and job centres.

Keeping Up to Date

It is useful for childminders to see what others in their area are offering.

This is achieved through childminders keeping the information service up to date with their provision information. The Information Service can help with setting up informal groups of childminders in the same areas to offer help and support to each other.

Associated with the Aberdeenshire Childcare Partnership, we can keep childminders informed about local and national developments in childcare.

This may include news of initiatives such as Childcare Tax Credit for working parents, training opportunities, support for developing provision and special events.