# Childcare Experience



## Barbados Girl (Jul 7, 2012)

My husband and I are looking to start our adoption journey in the Autumn.  I was wondering about childcare experience.

So...what do they expect?  I have lots of experience of looking after my best friend's little girl, and a bit with babysitting and stuff when I was younger but that's it.  Are we expected to ask people if we can babysit their kids...which strikes me as a little personal (please go out so I can take care of your kid)!  My husband has very little experience, really- just babysitting with me.

I don't work with children.  I am a school governor but that doesn't involve regular contact with the kids.  What is your experience, lovely people?


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## Mummy DIY Diva (Feb 18, 2012)

Different agencies have different expectations ours said that they will work with you if you are committed regardless of things like that.  However I think for me I am glad we have a lot of child care experience particularly together.  We regularly have our 3 nephews over night and always have done. This means through trial and error we have an established routine and set jobs we both automatically do when caring for kids and getting them out and about.  We also spend time with friends children I have younger siblings so we have cared for teenagers together.  I also work with kids. However our agency didn't demand any of that from us it's just the way our life is. There's nothing we have done purposely for them.  A big part of it is luck as you say I don't think other people would leave their kids with us overnight just because you tend to rely on family.  Ask agencies be honest and they should tell you what they want you to do or work with you and the experience you have. Good luck x


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## Handstitchedmum (Mar 24, 2013)

Yes, I've heard that child care experience together is quite valuable.

For me, I have always volunteered with children of all ages and disabilities. So, I have sold myself based on my range of experience, especially with young adults and learning disabilities. The SWers advised HSDad to gain experience and so he is now volunteering with me.  

I would like to have some more practical care-giving experience, so I hope to convince our relatives to let us babysit their little girl. Any experience that helps build our familiarity and confidence can only be good, as long as we maintain our flexibility. I'm not really bothered what the SW require, as long as I can demonstrate to myself that I've done everything I can do prepare. I think it's fair to say that the SWers have been receptive to that attitude. Especially when I ask them directly what they advise!


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## aaa is a MUMMY (Oct 13, 2009)

Good luck with your road to parenthood. 
Like gwyneth we had loads of nephews and looked after them alot including twins. We also have teenage nieces and at the time one of them was having a particular rough time with school and she always came to us for help. So our sw said this was enough however there was another couple on our group who had similar if not more experience and their sw made them do the nursery experience.
At our prep we were told 10 sessions at an age appropriate child activity. Some people did it in a prision at weekends others at playgroup etc.


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## Frangipanii (Nov 21, 2011)

Both hubby and I did some volunteering! Him at a primary school and me at a children's centre and a nursery! We didn't have that much but it was probably enough but for our own peace of mind we topped it up! There are opportunities out there for volunteering which I think is possibly easier than borrowing a child (too weird)! Good luck x


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## MummyAuntieKatie (Oct 18, 2012)

Hello!  Our experience was of nieces and nephews mainly but I volunteered at a Cyber Cafe for 10 and 11 year olds to pad out my experience, no one ever asked me about it, but it went on our PAR and as soon as we had a match I quit, partly because the interaction with the kids was minimal and we didn't know when intros would start.  

Sometimes they like things like helping with reading in schools etc too. x


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## GoofyGirl (Apr 1, 2013)

Hi
I'm thinking of volunteering to work in a nursery but I suspect they won't let me until I have had what used to be called CRB (not sure of new term) check. Does anyone know if this is the case? Once we start adoption formally we will have this CRB type check anyway but I was hoping to get as much experience as possible so wanted to get going. We cannot start adoption until early autumn due to IVF only finishing in Feb/March this year. 
Also I feel a bit weird about it, not sure whether to explain why I want the experience or just pretend I'm doing it out of the kindness of my heart. And I have such little experience I don't want to feel like a burden to the nursery staff. 
Does anyone have similar experience of volunteering in nursery after very little prior experience? 
I'd like to gain experience of feeding, toiletting, playing, nappy changing etc. have never changed a nappy and would feel very embarrassed if I had to do this in front of FC / SW during intros. 
My lovely big sis is going to AP in a couple of weeks and says I can get experience with her LOs, (can't wait to be an Aunty  ) but by the time she has her LOs settled in after a few months I'm hoping to be nearing getting our own LOs. 
GG xx


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## Frangipanii (Nov 21, 2011)

Goofy, just explain why but make sure you highlight how sensitive it is!  I did experience in a nursery and you will need a crb. So contact them early ie now, just pick on you like the look of! I had some issues with confidentiality but now I am glad because I have so much more support! Obviously I can't guarantee that will always be the case! The one I went to was attached to children's centre ans that helped because of the resources, 
good luck and welcome x


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## Maisyz (Dec 15, 2010)

I'm on the volutary work route as well. My family live overseas so I've never babysat them and couldn't reasonably be expected to do so. Most of my friends who have kids don't really use babysitters (they work all day and stuff the kids in childcare otherwise so frankly shouldn't be palming them off on other people the rest of time anyway!). Have heard different things from different authorities about amount of childcare experience you need, some apparently just stick you in a playcentre for a few hours and see if you're broadly OK, others seem obsessed with it. I'm using the finding voluntary experience seeking as practice. Am v proud of myself very nearly didn't cry when having to tell the last lot my tragic tale of inability to produce a birth child. The people I have told when looking to volunteer have been fab, one even turned out to be an adoptive mum herself which was great.

Frangipaniii was it a contact centre you helped at? I thought of taht but volunteer lady said theymight be funny about me looking to adopt so haven't called them?

Maisy


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## Frangipanii (Nov 21, 2011)

No Maisyz it is a sure start children's centre and they are amazing!! 
X x x


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## gettina (Apr 24, 2009)

hey Barbados girl and goofy girl -and other posters too
If your experience with your friend's daughter includes when she/he was/is of an age similar to the age range you wish to adopt and if it includes play and learning from her beaviour etc is will be really relevant. Experience does not have to be formal. I would strongly encourage you to get DH involved with spending time with them - he has to be seen to be committed and to be able to contribute too. Babysitting - at night - tends not to carry weight because of the generally low level of actual contact with the child. My DH and I were worried about lack of child care so we did have the weird conversation with some good friends to ask to borrow their kids now again! Especially uncomfortable becuase we had backed off and not spent much time at all with them in the  two years of their twins lives due to the pain of being around little ones. But, hey between friends and all that...they were happy to help. All it has involved for us is visiting and spending  an hour or so every few weeks playing with the kids - it lets the parents go to the shops or do some work etc and is welcomed! 

As in our case at least one and ideally two of our references were to be people with children/who could comment on us with children (and we had backed away from most of those people) we also felt it would be good to spend time with their children as they would then be a good reference person for us.

In case that wasn't enough we also begain volunteering - DH at beavers and me with reading at a school. i don't think that was essential but as we desperately didn't want further delays (eg being told to come back in 6 months once we'd got more experience) we were willing to start doing this during the wait after IVF. FWIW - DH has found Beavers want more commitment than he wants to give - parents can just casually come along of an evening and help out but he has to train as a Beaver leader - doing online training, helping to plan the activities etc. And, as a full time worker with a demanding job every now and again he can't do all that's required and he gets a hard time about it. 
We both had crb checks but the payment and admin (apart from filling in the form) was done by the organisation we were volunteering with.
DH wasn't happy about telling the scouting movement about his reasons for volunteering-it's so private isn't it - but as he deliberately was asking to be with the very youngest boys...well, it felt better to give our reasons than get knocked back for looking dodgy and evasive...and wasn't a problem of course. As someone said to me when I asked on here about it - they are so keen for help they don't mind why they are getting it as long as it's a valid reason.

gosh that was an essay - hope useful and good luck
gettina


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## GoofyGirl (Apr 1, 2013)

Hi thanks Frangipanii, Maisy and Gettina
Yes will definitely go for voluntary at nursery then. 
I also think it will help me when we get LO as any experience is better than virtually none! 

The waiting is driving me insane  , want my LOs already. 

Good luck Barbados Girl

GG xxx


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## Maisyz (Dec 15, 2010)

Thanks Frangi. I did contact our Surestart place but was told they basically only used volunteers who were mums to help them get work experience. Am loking at other stuff now, will get there in the end or die trying!

Maisy


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## thespouses (Jan 5, 2006)

I'm surprised about that experience with Beavers, they certainly won't question your motivation, and it's possible to be a unit helper who goes every week (and less often wouldn't help you anyway) but doesn't have to do training.


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## Wyxie (Apr 10, 2013)

We helped out at Beavers and one of our local groups wanted us to train as leaders, but the other was more than happy to have us as "occasional helpers", so just a CRB and let them know in advance which sessions we could come to so they weren't left short staffed.


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## Barbados Girl (Jul 7, 2012)

Thanks for your replies, lovely ladies.  Perhaps I should look into some volunteering.  Our friend's little girl has been a massive part of our lives from birth and she is now three so our age range.  We have done absolutely lots with her.


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## gettina (Apr 24, 2009)

Bg - i reckon you'll be fine then. 
X


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## thespouses (Jan 5, 2006)

Volunteering with whichever organisation you find best will give you experience of a wider range of children, certainly.


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