Suzanne's Childcare - Childminder Weston super Mare

09/06/2026

I have a term time only early years space available from September on Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday.

01/06/2026

The education secretary has asked the Competitions and Markets Authority to look into the early years sector and the extra charges some settings are making. This guide explains the challenges we are facing.

25/04/2026

Lots of changes recently for childcare providers!

Let that sink in…just 7 months and childminders have gone through:

*Early years foundation stage welfare requirements changes(safer eating, safeguarding every 2 years, DSL requirement, personal care requirements and more) Sept 2025

*Funding expansion Sept 2025

*Statutory nutrition guidance -Sept 2025

*Voluntary charges for consumables for funded childcare change - Jan 2026

*Ofsted Inspection Framework November 2025

*Climate action Plans-December 2025

*Ventilation and air quality guidance- Feb 2026

*Screen time guidance-March 2026

*Working together to safeguard children document update March -2026

*minimum wage update for those who employ assistants -April 2026

*Ofsted inspection cycle change- -April 2026

*Making Tax Digital - April 2026

*Wear and tear allowance removed in line with MTD -April 2026

*CAF funding ended (for those with SEND holiday care) and replaced with SACIF- April 2026

*School transition guidance -April 2026

*Safer Sleep email and then clarifying guidance a couple of weeks later -April 2026

This is a lot for any work place.
Let alone remembering that most of us work on our own.

Many of these changes are not minor.
They involve new training, updated policies, different admin systems plus reconsideration of financial sustainability and in some cases having to purchase new equipment.

And this is all around our job of actually caring for and educating young children for often over 40 hours a week, which is exhausting and comes with a huge amount of outside of hours work in itself.

Childminders are not imagining the strain.

Funded hours don’t cover our lost private time to do this work.

We can do it, but having space between updates or a good amount of notice rather than an immediate effect change with no prior discussion would go a long way!
If government departments could actually look ahead at the workload, because this is more than an update a month but also often happening all in one go…7 of the changes THIS MONTH ALONE.

We are real humans behind the work having to be at our best bright and early for little humans.

Plus funding should take into account the mandatory work being put upon us outside of contact time with children that we can’t add into our fee, Funding banning top up fees and limiting what we can charge for means we are working hundreds of unpaid hours, because none of this can be done when the children are in our care.

How we are surviving is magic in itself quite honestly, and still going above and beyond for the little ones in our care.

(Did I miss anything? I haven’t managed to even look at Scotland and Wales yet as, clearly I’ve been having to keep up on changes that affect me!)


Department for EducationUK Prime Minister

15/03/2026

25/02/2026

Lovely trip to sand bay this morning. Virtually the whole beach to ourselves.

05/02/2026

Mud and puddles today.

31/01/2026

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/754843?fbclid=IwdGRjcAPq-DdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEet0_jne_Q6win9bmQ-uaYA0KhSUaWkWOd8QEDEDqAEeQobyvlVGiYNSym6-o_aem__Eg1z0CnLd5lB2z0dlXH2g

Retain the 10% wear and tear allowance for childminders, or introduce an equivalent alternative that reflects the additional household costs of providing regulated childcare from home and helps ensure childminding remains financially sustainable.

16/12/2025

The government is planning to stop out ability to claim 10% of our income for wear and tear on our houses. Please support childminders by signing the petition

Childcare on the Brink: Stop the 2026 Cut That Will Push Childminders Out

13/11/2025

Enjoyed some autumn sunshine today.

15/09/2025

⚠️ Urgent recall: Halfords is recalling its Essentials Nyala R129 Car Seat due to a safety issue with the buckle. Under high temperatures the plastic may deform, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

📦 Affected batch codes: 211X and 223X

🛒 Sold between March and May 2023

Stop using it immediately and return to Halfords for a full refund - no receipt required.