Unlike parents, children are relatively easy to keep happy! They will not make any unreasonable demands on you and will not expect you to perform miracles.

Children are usually happy and content if they feel safe, valued and are offered appropriate activities to stimulate their minds. It is of course your duty as a childminder to enhance this and encourage them to achieve to their full potential – and to ensure that they are loved, welcomed and valued.In order for Ofsted to make their judgement about the overall quality of your childminding setting the inspector will ask the very important question: What is it like for a child here? The inspector will judge how well you meet a series of outcomes for children that are set out in the Children Act 2004. These outcomes are as follows:

Children’s Rights

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is an international treaty which applies to everyone under the age of 18 years and consists of 54 agreed articles. 

There are certain Acts of Parliament which are in place to promote the equality of opportunity and to prevent discrimination. The Acts include the Children Act 1989 which requires that the regulatory body has a set of policies in practice for equality of opportunity and that these policies are reviewed regularly. All childcare practitioners should receive regular updates relating to equal opportunities and they should be provided with details of any relevant training as and when necessary.

The Children Act 1989 acknowledges the importance of the child’s wishes and opinions. The Act emphasises the need for parents and carers to be responsible for their children rather than to have rights over them.

It is because children cannot always stand up for themselves and be heard that this set of rights has been made and they take into account a child’s vulnerability. Almost every country in the world has agreed to and signed the United Nations Convention underlining its importance.

Providing For Children’s Needs

Children have five basic needs. These needs are illustrated in Figure 1.




The basic human rights of children entitle them to things such as food, health care and protection from abuse. However a child’s rights are different from those of an adult as children cannot always stand up for themselves. Children need a special set of rights which take into account their vulnerability and which ensure that adults take responsibility for their protection, stimulation and development. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child outlines the basic human rights of all children everywhere.

All children have the right to:

• survival;
• protection from harm, abuse and exploitation;
• develop to their full potential;
• participate fully in social, cultural and family life;
• express their views;
• have their views listened to, valued and taken into account;
• play, rest and enjoy their lives.

There are certain rights outlined in the UN Convention which relate particularly to childcare and education and it is these rights of the child that childminders should be most concerned with. The rights which affect childcare are as follows:

• Children have the right to sufficient food and clean water for their needs.
• Children have the right to appropriate health care and medicines.
• Children have the right to be with their family or those who will care for them best.
• Children have the right to play.
• Children have the right to be safe and free from harm and neglect.
• Children have the right to free education.
• Children should not be exploited as cheap labour or soldiers.
• Children have the right to an adequate standard of living.
• Disabled children have the right to special care and training.

Missing Mummyor Daddy?

It is probably true to say that the most difficult time for a childminder to keep a child happy is when the child is new to the setting and is missing their parents. This is particularly true for a young child who has been with their mother from birth and who may now need a childminder in order for their mother to return to work. You will not be able to take the place of the child’s mother whilst they are in your setting, and you should not be striving to do this. It is your job to reassure the child, offer appropriate activities and comfort them when they are upset.

You will have to adjust your usual routine to cater for the new child and to offer additional support until they have settled into your setting.

In some ways it is easier to settle a young baby into your setting than an older child. However babies, when they get to the age of around eight months, start to become aware of strangers and may well go through a phase of missing mummy. Babies of this age can often become upset when being left and you would be wise to prepare the parents for this possibility.

Likewise the parents of the child may be very likely to miss their baby and may also need your support and reassurance.