The National Childminding Association (NCMA) Kendal Support Group has organised an emergency back-up plan to support childminders in the event of the foot and mouth crisis worsening in the area. One of the local childminders lives on a farm and will be unable to continue looking after the children in her care if the farm is declared a restricted area, so fellow childminders have volunteered to help if emergency procedures are introduced.
Sue Ernshaw, NCMA Kendal support group co-ordinator, said, 'Thankfully we have not needed to give help yet but the support group has devised a contingency plan. One of the childminders in our area lives on a farm. She is still able to look after the children in her care, but if the foot and mouth outbreak affects her farm there are childminders on stand-by to help her.
'At the moment it is a case of parents and children walking through disinfectant each day. It is the best option because the childminder in question will get her children back once the crisis is over. Social services have said that they will make an exception to the other childminders taking on extra children during the crisis, but we're all hoping that it will not come to that.'
But Jan Dobson, a childminder from Wigton in Cumbria, is currently without work due to the outbreak. The child she cared for during the past year has been removed because her mother, who worked on farms, has been made redundant.
Ms Dobson said she thought there would not be any work for her in the area until after the epidemic. 'I started advertising last month, but I have not had any response,' she said. 'The outbreak is starting to hit us hard.' Gill Haynes, NCMA chief executive, said, 'We are aware that childminders in Cumbria are helping each other out with the care of the children in the areas affected by foot and mouth disease. Childminders are caring people and this is a great example of them putting the needs of children, families and the community first.'
