Petition - please consider signing
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/reciprocalcc/#detail
Two women from the same company give birth at similar times. When their children reached one year old both women wished to return to work on a part time basis. They decide to job share and undertake reciprocal childcare in order to minimise their outgoings and enable themselves to return to work. The children are very good friends and have grown up together as sisters and the two women are very good friends and trust each other to look after their child.
However, after a visit from Ofsted (following a 'tip off' they have now been stopped from doing this. The reason? Apparently due to the law concerning childcare, this is illegal due to the fact that they get a reward for looking after the child (i.e. reward = childcare when they go to work!). Yes, the law says that if you watch childen for reward you have to be a registered childminder, and have decided that in this case, being able to go back to work without paying for childcare is a reward.
The two women have now been forced to put their children into childcare and reduce their working hours due to the extra cost.
This seems a bit daft if you ask me. Why can't two adults come to an arrangement like this that allows them to work, without government interferrance? This is not the same as deciding to set yourself up to mind children for cash - no money changed hands.
Anyway, if you agree, take some time to sign the petition. If not, I feel better for sharing!
Two women from the same company give birth at similar times. When their children reached one year old both women wished to return to work on a part time basis. They decide to job share and undertake reciprocal childcare in order to minimise their outgoings and enable themselves to return to work. The children are very good friends and have grown up together as sisters and the two women are very good friends and trust each other to look after their child.
However, after a visit from Ofsted (following a 'tip off' they have now been stopped from doing this. The reason? Apparently due to the law concerning childcare, this is illegal due to the fact that they get a reward for looking after the child (i.e. reward = childcare when they go to work!). Yes, the law says that if you watch childen for reward you have to be a registered childminder, and have decided that in this case, being able to go back to work without paying for childcare is a reward.
The two women have now been forced to put their children into childcare and reduce their working hours due to the extra cost.
This seems a bit daft if you ask me. Why can't two adults come to an arrangement like this that allows them to work, without government interferrance? This is not the same as deciding to set yourself up to mind children for cash - no money changed hands.
Anyway, if you agree, take some time to sign the petition. If not, I feel better for sharing!