Children’s Secretary Ed Balls says that inspectors should not interfere in private arrangements between friends looking after each other’s children.
As you are all aware of the recent case where 2 policewomen who were told that helping each other with babysitting was illegal if they were not registered.
To clarify reciprocal childcare arrangements between parents where there is no payment involved are not a matter for regulation. Mr Balls says that he has now asked Ofsted not to interpret these rules as applying to arrangements which have no “financial reward” and are for “mutual aid”. “When parents make their own reciprocal childcare arrangements with friends they retain full control and responsibility for the care their children receive
To be honest this whole drama seems a bit mad. Who parents leave their children with is up to them and when friends help each other out they should not be penalised for this. The way I see it the way this government is going people are going to end up to scared to help each other and so society will become divided. Which can’t be a good thing,