Happy Hands

07/05/2026

Playground fun

30/04/2026

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

10/04/2026

Cholderton Rare Breeds Farm and ‘Bluey’

30/03/2026

Short day out at Cholderton Charlie’s but season ticket has been bought so lots of fun days out to be had.

15/03/2026

𝙄𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙙?

Key points regarding illnesses:

Fever/Temperature: Children must be fever-free for 48 hours before returning.

Coughs & Colds: Mild colds with clear mucus are fine. Thick green/yellow mucus, persistent coughs, or symptoms that disturb sleep mean your child should stay home.

Vomiting & Diarrhoea: Children must remain home for 48 hours after the last episode.

Any sickness within the setting will be treated as an illness. Parents will be contacted immediately to collect their child.

Rashes: Do not send your child in with any new rashes. Any new rash must be checked by a medical professional before returning.

Specific Illnesses:

Whooping Cough – 5 days absence after starting antibiotics

Slapped Cheek – 5 days from rash onset

Measles – 5 days from rash onset

Tonsillitis – 48 hours after starting antibiotics

Threadworms – 5 days from onset of immediate medication. This allows the medication to work and to kill off the worms. A second treatment is needed. The whole family will need to be treated.

Highly contagious illnesses (chickenpox, HFMD) – Must remain home until every spot is scabbed over.

Ear Infections: Must be assessed by a doctor and follow guidance on return.

Conjunctivitis: Does not need to be seen by a doctor but must be treated. Children may return after 24hrs of treatment once eyes are clear and free from green or yellow discharge.

Head Lice: Children may return after full treatment.

Medication & Vaccinations: Children on new medication or after vaccination should remain home for 48 hours to monitor for reactions.

Sleep & Wellbeing: Poor sleep, tiredness, or not feeling well may affect behaviour; children will be asked to stay home.

Key Reminders:

Parents must report absences and reasons.

Any injuries must be reported and documented by parents.

Reported illnesses are taken seriously with deep cleans, and in worst-case scenarios, temporary closure may occur.

Parents are encouraged to use this as a guide and always prioritise their child’s health and the safety of all children when deciding whether to attend the setting.

04/02/2026

Public Health Update


Important Information for Parents and Carers: Please Check Your Child’s Vaccinations

Dear Parents and Carers,
We are writing with an important public health update.

The World Health Organisation has confirmed that the UK has lost its “measles‑free” status following a rise in measles cases from autumn 2023 to summer 2024. This means the virus is circulating in the UK.

Why this matters? Measles is highly infectious and spreads easily in nurseries, schools and play settings. While most children recover well, it can cause serious complications.

The MMRV vaccine offers the best protection against measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox.

What you can do now
Check your child’s vaccinations: Look in your child’s Red Book or contact your GP to confirm they’ve had both doses.
Book any missed doses: Catch-up is available at any age - contact your GP for an appointment.
Remember the vaccine is free: All eligible children and adults can get the MMRV vaccine on the NHS at no cost.
Two doses = strong protection: Two doses provide 99% protection against measles and helps to prevent outbreaks.

Reliable information
• NHS/UKHSA leaflet: MMR for all: general leaflet - GOV.UK
• UKHSA blog: MMRV vaccination: a guide for parents and carers - GOV.UK
We have updated our childhood vaccination postcard to reflect MMRV becoming part of the routine immunisation schedule. This can be downloaded and ordered for free from the Find public health resources website (product code 1265 4691 EN 001).
If you are a health professional or work for a local authority, you can order up to 500 copies as long as you are registered on the website. If you are a member of the public, you will be able to order up to five copies. If you are having any trouble ordering, please email [email protected].

If you have questions about vaccination, your GP or health visitor can help.

02/02/2026

So very sad 😢

There’s something happening quietly in the UK that should be making every single person stop and pay attention.

We are losing childminders.

Not slowly. Not “a few here and there”.

In England, registered childminders have dropped to around 25,000.
That’s 1,000 fewer in the last year alone.
And the long-term picture is even worse - we’ve gone from around 60,000 childminders in 2009 to under 25,000 today.

That isn’t a “shift in childcare trends.”
That’s a collapse of a whole part of the sector.

And what makes it heartbreaking is this:

Childminders aren’t leaving because they don’t care.
They’re leaving because they’ve been pushed to the edge.

These are the people who:
* provide a genuine home-from-home experience
* offer the flexibility families rely on
* know children inside out (their interests, their triggers, their routines, their confidence levels)
* build bonds that aren’t just “professional” - they’re secure and life-shaping
* support families through the hardest moments, not just the easy ones
* teach, nurture, guide, comfort, protect… and somehow still manage paperwork, admin, learning journeys, safeguarding, training, risk assessments and inspections on top

Childminders don’t do this job for the money.
They do it because they believe in giving children the best start.

So why are they disappearing?

Because the sector is being stretched to breaking point by:
constant change,
more demands,
more accountability,
more financial pressure,
…and honestly? not enough respect.

And while this is happening, it genuinely feels like the direction of travel is: children being “placed” into childcare that looks more like school, from as young as 9 months.

I’m sorry but… 9 months old.

That should make us all pause.

Because childcare isn’t just about getting parents back to work (as important as that is).
It’s about babies and toddlers being cared for in ways that are developmentally appropriate, nurturing, responsive, and safe.

And homebased childcare has always offered something incredibly special - yet it still isn’t valued the way it should be.

Parents choose childminders because they want:
✅ a smaller setting
✅ familiar routines
✅ stability
✅ flexible care
✅ a caregiver who knows their child deeply
✅ an environment that feels like home - not a production line

And yet… the people providing this essential care are being forced out.

Not because they don’t love the job.
But because loving the job is no longer enough to survive it.

If we lose childminders, families lose choice.
Communities lose support.
Children lose a beautiful, nurturing early experience.

And the early years sector, already on its knees loses even more of its foundation.

This matters.
More than most people realise.

15/01/2026

We are opening our fifth specialist Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) centre in Tidworth, supporting children under five with SEND.

The new centre, opening later this month, will be operated by Dingley’s Promise, who will bring their specialist expertise to enhance the support available for local families.

Full details 👉🏼 https://orlo.uk/k156Z

12/05/2025

Applications are now open for 30 hours a week of funded childcare from 9 months old from September.

Putting money back in your pocket and making the juggle of family life a bit easier.

If you’re a parent, check what you’re eligible for and claim your code for September at: childcarechoices.gov.uk.

25/03/2025

In light of Netflix's newest popular show - Adolescence, we’d would like to take this opportunity to help raise awareness surrounding the online security and safety of your child/teenager.

Online, young people are communicating in ways that most adults completely misunderstand. What looks innocent could potentially have a very different meaning.

Here are some of the 'codes' which may be being used by your child:

🔴 Red Pill – “I see the truth.” Used in toxic male spaces to mean waking up to supposed hidden ‘truths’ about women and society, often linked to misogynistic ideologies.

🔵 Blue Pill – Represents those who are “blind to the truth” or still believe in mainstream views about relationships and gender dynamics.

💥 Dynamite Emoji – An “exploding red pill,” meaning someone is a radicalised incel.

🫘 Kidney Bean – A symbol linked to incel culture, sometimes mocking women.

💯 100 Emoji – Tied to the “80/20 rule,” the belief that 80% of women are only attracted to 20% of men.

🕳️ Black Hole – Used to express depression, hopelessness, or being sucked into negative online spaces.

🌪️ Tornado – Represents chaos or feeling overwhelmed, sometimes used to indicate mental distress.

🐸 Frog Emoji – Associated with alt-right and extremist meme culture, often linked to Pepe the Frog, which has been co-opted by some toxic online groups.

🦅 Eagle – A symbol of extreme nationalism, sometimes used in far-right online spaces.

💀 Skull – While often just slang for “that’s funny” or “I’m dead (from laughing),” in certain groups, it can signal darker themes like nihilism or self-harm.

❤️ 💜 💛 💗 🧡 Heart colours and what each one can represent.

❤️ = Love

💜 = Lust

💛 = “Are you interested?”

💗 = Interested but not in s*x

🧡 = “You’ll be okay”

So what should parents do and some advice?

1️⃣ Get Curious, Not Combative – Ask open-ended questions: “I saw something about emojis meaning different things. Have you heard of this?” Keep the conversation light.

2️⃣ Create a Judgment-Free Zone – If your child feels like they’ll be punished for opening up, they won’t. Make it clear you’re there to listen, not just lecture.

3️⃣ Decode Together – Ask them to explain their digital world. What do different symbols mean? Who are the influencers they follow? Don’t assume—ask.

4️⃣ Teach Critical Thinking – Help them question online content. “Why do you think some groups push this idea? Who benefits?” Arm them with questions, not just rules.

5️⃣ Monitor Without Spying – Open conversations work better than secret surveillance. Make checking in on their online spaces a normal part of parenting, not a crisis move.

6️⃣ Be Real About Manipulation – Explain how toxic online groups groom young people by making them feel special, included, or like they have ‘insider knowledge.’

7️⃣ Build Their Offline Confidence – The more they feel valued and confident in the real world, the less they’ll seek validation in dangerous online spaces.

The digital world is evolving faster than most adults can keep up. But we don’t have to be in the dark!

Please share with anyone you know with teenage children.