childminding

[tetley]

hi there, new here so be gentle with me!!

i used to be a registered childminder in uk and had no intentions of working here in france for a few years.....but...i was wondering how it all works here with regard to childminding?  do the carers go on courses, are they checked in anyway by authorities at their homes or by the police?  i am in no way fluent in french so don't know how a family would feel about me caring for their child.....(even though it would benefit the child as it would be kind of bilingual by the time he/she gets to school!)....i am just kind of thinking out loud here, but comments,advice is very welcome.

[Suze01]

Hi tetley,

I have registered as a childminder (assistante maternelle agréee) here having worked in childcare in the UK.  It is fairly painless process, lots of forms to fill in including a doctors certificate, a few home visits/inspections and a day long meeting with other applicants and speakers from the various relevant departments.

I would suggest that you go along to your Mairie and ask that you want to apply for the agrement to become an Assistant Maternelle and they will point you in the right direction.

Once you have your agrement your name will be added to the list at the Mairie and you will, I'm sure, receive demands from parents looking for a Nou-Nou.  I would warn you though that the pay is very low especially compared to UK pay (OH's 20 year old daughter earns a bomb compared to me!!).

Here's the website with details of pay and agrementation etc (look at the menu down the left hand side of the page): www.assitante-maternelle.org

[tetley]

thanks for the response suze...can I ask, do you speak fluent french? not sure how I would get on as I am not fluent, and all this tuing and vousing throws me!!  although, I am trying very hard..believe me!!  Also. what is the ratio of children you can look after? sorry, probably all on the website (have found it......will work through it later when it's quiet!)  thanks

[Suze01]

My agrément is to look after 2 children at any one time.  The max you can have (at any one time) is 3.  You could of course have more children on your books but look after them at different times, for example if one of the parents only worked part-time.

My french is not bad, I'm in my 4th year here (and 3rd log-in name - I've been around longer than my 'date joined' suggests) and upto Christmas had been going to advanced classes at GRETA in Riberac.  There's still lots of vocab I don't know but my grammar is quite good! I often slip out a 'tu' to someone who I probably shouldn't and hope they either didn't notice or aren't offended [:$]

Where abouts are you in North Dordogne? We may be fairly near each other - PM me if you don't want to broadcast it.

[tetley]

hi Suze, thanks again..I have sent you a pm.

[SaligoBay]

[quote user="tetley"]

i am in no way fluent in french so don't know how a family would feel about me caring for their child[/quote]

A lack of French is more likely to affect you than the child, Tetley!

Small children can be difficult to understand, they can talk fast or unclearly, and they're not able to explain what they mean if you don't understand.   So if that's the group you're going to be working with, make sure you get plenty of exposure to them before you start!

biberon = baby's bottle

couche = nappy

faire dodo = to go to sleep

bobo = minor injury, cut, bump etc. (it hurts!)

kaka = the brown stuff in la couche

And children are always "tu".  Unless you're talking to more than one of them, then it's "vous".

 

[Tourangelle]

Actually I think that being English speaking could be a real plus point

with some parents.  I mean if you speak to their children in

English and they pick up a bit of the language then that could be

really good for them.  I think there are many French parents who

would not see it as a negative thing at all[:D]

[SaligoBay]

[quote user="Tourangelle"]Actually I think that being English speaking could be a real plus point with some parents.  I mean if you speak to their children in English and they pick up a bit of the language then that could be really good for them.  I think there are many French parents who would not see it as a negative thing at all[:D]
[/quote]

Oh no, I didn't mean speaking English was negative!   I was just thinking of it from Tetley's point of view.   I mean, if a child gabbles something at you in French and you don't understand, they're not going to repeat it slowly and carefully for you!

French children get their words mixed up and just plain wrong, just like English children. 

For example...... the 2-yr-old I'm looking after just now, he gets consonants mixed up.  So when he says "ça pook", it helps to know a bit of French so you can work out that he's trying to say "ça coupe".   Or that "faggy day" means "tired".  [;)]

I had a 4-yr-old girl and her 3-yr-old brother for a year.  Middle-class type parents and all, keen for them to learn English, but the children just were not interested!    So I talked to them in French.  At 6 euros an hour for two of them (including picking them up from school) I wasn't going to make TOO much effort!   Actually, the English thing is unfair - I did so much other stuff with them, the English was never going to be the most exciting activity!