Nursery World Awards 2009: Individuals - Childminder of the Year

Joyce Heard is finally retiring after working as a registeredchildminder for 38 years. During this time she has been an immensesource of support to families and other childminders in Hampshire.

She is a member of the Hampshire Cluster Network of childminders, and isan active committee member of the Andover Childminders' Association.

As soon as the opportunity arose, she became a support childminder, thenwas picked as the first in Hampshire to mentor a fellow childmindergraded by Ofsted as inadequate.

She is a trained community childminder, stepping in to help vulnerablechildren and their families, often at very short notice.

In the past year, she has given valuable support to a six-year-old whowas excluded from school, a 12-year-old who has severe developmentaldelay and a baby around which there are child protection issues.

Childminding has seen quite a few changes in recent years and Joyce hasbeen eager to embrace these. Lorna Wagner, childminding development andnetwork co-ordinator for the National Childminding Association, says,'She has grabbed with both hands every opportunity available tochildminders. She is the sort of childminder who is the backbone of oursector, and she typifies the very best practice and attitude to thejob.'

Joyce was one of the first childminders in Hampshire to gain a Level 3qualification, the Certificate in Childminding Practice. She was thefirst to join the Hampshire Cluster Network and then the first to becomeaccredited to deliver free nursery education to three- andfour-year-olds.

Her innovative ideas and approaches to enhancing children's learning andthe way that she records that development inspire others and herdevelopmental journals have been used to train other childminders.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

- Christine Dale, Brinnington, Stockport

Christine Dale has been childminding for 13 years and recently receivedan MBE for her services to children and families. She is the chair andmembership co-ordinator for the Borough of Stockport ChildmindingAssociation and helps parents to find suitable childcare. Christine wasa support childminder for four years and has guided many childmindersthrough their first year. She has been instrumental in getting astatement of Special Educational Need for a boy she cares for and alsooffers overnight and weekend care through the community childmindingscheme. Her nominator calls her commitment and drive for children'unstoppable'.

FINALISTS

- Christine Baker, Barnsley

- Rachel and Kerry Hart, Bedfordshire

- Shirleen Pace, Worcester

CRITERION

Nominees must be registered childminders.