Childminder: A study in action research

At dawn every day over the whole of Britain, small children are being handed over to childminders while their parents go out to work to earn their living. Some of these childminders are motherly, kind and caring. Others are indifferent, unconcerned beyond their own payment. Over one million children under five in Britain have a mother who goes out to work, but there are few figures available for the extent of legal, or illegal, childminders in Britain. "Childminder" is the first national survey to estimate not only numbers of childminders, but also the quality of care that a child may receive during the day when both parents are out at work. On balance, the research evidence shows that most childminders are good neighbours who need better support from the government. On the basis of action research, which involved the setting up of children's centres and "drop-in" groups, using schools, television and radio, the conclusion is that today's parents have a right to choose to work if society can guarantee loving and skilled care for their children, which at present is not the case. The authors suggest that the next stop will have to be a charter for childminders. Representing fourteen years' work, this is the first full-length, nationwide study on the subject of childminding in Britain.