Crazy caterpillars childcare

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From April, Flying Start free childcare for two-year-olds is being expanded across the whole of Newport. Families will no longer need to live in certain postcode areas to apply for up to 12.5 hours of childcare per week in a registered setting.
Find out more here https://ow.ly/oG2Y50Yp1hl

we set off on a wonderfully wet and muddy welly walk, the kind where the sky is grey, the puddles are deep, and every step makes a glorious squelch. With our wellies pulled on tight and our waterproofs zipped up, we were ready for adventure.
Each of us had a checklist sheet in hand, filled with things to hunt for along the way. Raindrops sparkled on spiderwebs, the mud was perfect for spotting animal footprints, and the puddles were simply too tempting not to splash in! Every
discovery felt like a little victory, and ticking off each item on our sheets was so satisfying.
One of the best parts of our welly walk was meeting new friends along the way. Working together to search for tricky items helped us chat, share ideas, and cheer each other on.

Wet socks might dry, and muddy wellies can be cleaned, but the fun we had splashing, searching, and making new friends will last a long time. What a brilliant, boggy, beautiful day!

I wouldn’t change a thing! 🥰

Every time! 🤣

Another blow!!

Those who know me — or who’ve followed me for a while — will know that my heart will always belong to children. Their wellbeing, their development, their right to be seen, heard, and supported gently and respectfully.

But something else matters deeply to me: the people who care for them. 💗

This week has brought yet another hard hit for childminders.
HMRC have announced the removal of the ability for childminders to use a percentage allowance for wear and tear. And while that might sound like a small technical change on paper, the reality is anything but small.

We work from our homes.
Our homes are our settings.
They hold muddy boots, paint-stained tables, climbing frames, constant movement, noise, learning, care, and beautifully chaotic days that go far beyond “normal” family wear and tear.

Many childminders are already carrying everything alone — the educator, the carer, the administrator, the cleaner, the planner, the emotional anchor. Margins are tight. Pressure is high. And this decision lands on a sector that is already struggling to stay afloat.

HMRC have even compared childminders to plumbers — suggesting they don’t receive allowances for wear and tear either. But plumbers don’t run their business from their living rooms. They don’t open their homes daily to children’s learning, care, mess, and magic. The comparison shows just how little our role is understood. 😔

This decision doesn’t just affect numbers on a spreadsheet.
It affects sustainability.
It affects morale.
It affects whether childminders can continue at all.

Childminders are not a “nice extra” — we are a vital part of the childcare and early years infrastructure. When we are squeezed, families feel it. Communities feel it. Children feel it.

I truly hope HMRC listen.
I hope they reconsider the impact of this decision and engage with those living this reality every day.
Because this sector cannot keep absorbing blow after blow and still be expected to survive. 😳

We care deeply.
We give endlessly.
And we deserve to be understood — and supported — not pushed further to the edge. 🥺🫶🏻❤️

Our journey into the The Curiosity Approach has begun, it’s a learning experience for all of us but we’re embracing it! This morning we have a “rocket ship” 🥰

I’m very excited to announce that I’ve enrolled on “The curiosity approach” pathway…exciting times ahead!

Thank you
Carly Williams Jellybeans and Dragonflies 💕

😌

The Childminder - Kelly 💕

In a little home where laughter grows,
Where tiny hands and feet compose,
A song of play, of joy, of cheer—
A childminder’s love is always near.

She ties small shoes, she wipes a tear,
She whispers, “You are safe, I’m here.”
Through stories told and games they play,
She guides their hearts in gentle ways.

She sees the spark in curious eyes,
The wonder chasing butterflies.
Each scribbled page, each block-built tower,
She treasures them—each fleeting hour.

Not just a watchful set of eyes,
But steady hands, so kind, so wise.
A second home, a friend, a guide,
With patience always by their side.

And when the day draws to its end,
The children leave, but love won’t bend.
For every laugh, each hug, each smile,
Lives in her heart for quite a while.