Perceptions of the impact of childminding services on child, parent and family outcomes: research findings

Appendix 1 – Discussion Guides

A. Discussion Guide for Childminders

Introduction

• Introduce self and Ipsos MORI
• Remind them of the purpose of the research: looking at the benefits of childminding for children and their families
• Explain that the interview will last 45 mins to 1 hour and we will give participant £30 as a thank you for taking part.
• Provide reassurances of anonymity and confidentiality. Explain that no identifying information about individuals will be used in the reporting of the research.
• Explain that participation in the research in entirely voluntary, they don’t have to answer any questions they are uncomfortable with.
• Request permission to record interview [ask permission then ask them to confirm that once the recording has started]

Background

How long have you been a childminder?

Why did you want to become a childminder – what appealed to you about it?

Had you worked in childcare before? [useful to know when asking about comparisons with other settings]

Just to confirm, are you delivering any ELC funded hours?

And are you part of a Community Childminding Service?

Do you have any assistants working with you?

Current Provision

Could you tell me about the children you’re currently looking after?

Are any of the children from the same family?

If Delivering Funded ELC:

• How many children are you providing funded hours for?
• Which children are those?
• Are any age 2?

For Each Ask:

• How long have you been looking after him/her?
• Have the hours always been funded?
• What hours do you look after him/her?
• Do the hours vary?
• Does he/she receive any other formal or informal care?

Are you looking after any pre-school children with additional support needs? (diagnosed or not)

How has the number of children you look after changed since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic?

Benefits for children

What would you say are the main benefits for children of being looked after by a childminder? We’re particularly interested in the benefits for 3 and 4 year olds, and eligible 2 year olds, who are entitled to funded hours rather than for younger or older children.

For Each Benefit Mentioned Probe, If Necessary On:

• What is it about the childminding environment in particular that supports that?
• Can you give an example?
• Clarify if the benefit is in contrast to nursery and/or other care
• Are there any other particular benefits compared to a nursery setting?
• Are there any other particular benefits compared with informal care from grandparents or other relatives?

Prompt If Not Mentioned- Are there any benefits in relation to:

• The home environment?
• The number or mix of other children?
• The continuity of care (being cared for by same childminder for years)?
• Blended care with other provision
• Support for transitions to group settings
• Children’s learning and development? Which aspects?
• Social skills?
• Behaviour?
• The different activities you do?

Are there types of children it works particularly well for?

Prompts: age, personality/temperament, particular needs

How do you think the benefits of childminding could be maximised?

Probe:

• For children and their outcomes?
• More broadly?

[if struggling to answer – try: what needs to be in place so that children get the most out of being in a CM setting?]

And are there types of children that it works less well for – who might do better with another form of care?

Prompts: age, personality/temperament, particular needs

And more generally, what would you say are the disadvantages or limitations of childminding, if any?

Do you think there are ways in which some of these challenges can be overcome?

Benefits for parents / carers / families

What would you say are the main benefits for parents or carers of their child being looked after by a childminder? Again. we’re particularly interested in the benefits parents for 3 and 4 year olds, and eligible 2 year olds, who are entitled to funded hours rather than for younger or older children.

For Each Benefit Mentioned Probe, If Necessary On:

• What is it about childminding in particular that supports that?
• Can you give an example?
• Clarify if the benefit is in contrast to nursery and/or other care

Are there any other particular benefits for parents/carers compared to a nursery setting?

Are there any other particular benefits for parents/carers compared with informal care from grandparents or other relatives?

Prompt If Not Mentioned, are there any benefits for parents/carers in relation to:

• The hours provided?
• Being able to look after siblings?
• The continuity of care (children being cared for by same childminder for years)?
• Additional things you do to help and support parents? What are these things?

Are there parents/carers/families it works particularly well for?

Prompts: working pattern, age, parenting style/experience, family structure, location, income

How do you think the benefits of childminding for parents could be maximised?

And are there parents/families it works less well for – who might find another form of care more suitable?

Prompts: working pattern, age, parenting style/experience, family structure, location, income

What would you say are the main reason parents or carers choose a childminder over other childcare settings?

And more generally, what would you say are the disadvantages or limitations of childminding, from a parents’ perspective, if any? (e.g. needing to co-ordinate time off with the childminder – holidays at the same time)

Do you think there are ways in which some of these challenges can be overcome?

COVID-19

We know that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a big impact for some childminders and their services. In what ways, if any, do you think the pandemic has affected outcomes for the children you look after?

Prompt If Not Mentioned:

• Disruption/break in continuity of care for children?
• Wellbeing of children

How has the pandemic affected the families you work with?

In what ways has the Covid-19 pandemic affected your service and your ability to support families?

Prompt If Not Mentioned:

• Impact on activities?
• Impact of stress on children/families/yourself?
• Uncertainties over future service provision
• Change and uncertainty of hours they are able to provide

• Relationships with parents (not being able to see parents as much or difficulties around finances during lockdown)
• Less contact with families
• Health concerns (including having had Covid or someone needing to shield)

Childcare

In terms of child outcomes, what difference, if any, do you think it makes when childminding is funded as part of a child’s government-funded hours?

Probe On Positives/negatives

In terms of the impact on parents and families, what difference, if any, do you think it makes when childminding is funded as part of a child’s government-funded hours?

Probe On Positives/negatives

Have funded hours meant you have looked after children you would not otherwise have seen, or seen less of some children (e.g. because they go to nursery for their funded hours)?

How have the ELC funded hours impacted your services? [Don’t Spend Too Long On This Topic]

How has it impacted on the children you look after and their families?

Have you seen more families using blended models (as in a mix of childcare settings) as a result of funded hours?

If Yes: and what do you think are the benefits of this? and what do you think are the challenges of this?

Have funded hours changed the amount of wraparound care/transition care you provide?

If Yes: and what do you think are the benefits of this? and what do you think are the challenges of this?

Views on the future

Looking to the future, how do you think the benefits of childminding should be promoted?

What do you think are common misconceptions about childminding that need to be addressed?

What impact do you think the planned expansion of funded hours from 600 to 1,140 will have on your services [or has had, if already in place in their area]?

What impact do you think the expansion of funded hours will have on outcomes for children?

How has Covid-19 affected your future plans?

How has Covid-19 impacted your plans regarding the funded hours?

Wrap up

We’re just coming to the end of the discussion now, but before we do, is there anything else you would like to say about the provision of your services or the benefits of childminding for children and families?

That’s everything I wanted to ask you today, thank you very much for taking the time to speak to me.

[End]

B. Discussion Guide for Parents

Introduction

• Introduce self and Ipsos MORI
• Remind them of the purpose of the research: looking at their views on childminding and the impact on outcomes for children and their families
• Explain that the interview will last 45 mins to 1 hour and we will give participant £30 as a thank you for taking part.
• Provide reassurances of anonymity and confidentiality. Explain that no identifying information about individuals will be used in the reporting of the research and nothing will be fed back to their childminder.
• Explain that participation in the research in entirely voluntary, they don’t have to answer any questions they are uncomfortable with
• Request permission to record interview.

Background

To start off with, I have a few questions about you and your daily routine.

Can I ask who you currently live with?

Ask For Age and Gender of Children

Could you talk me through your routine in a typical week?

Prompt On:

• family life
• responsibilities / work / study etc
• pattern of childcare use (and the practical reasons for this) including informal care support they receive
• challenges they face

Use Of / General Views On Childminding

I now have some questions about your use of your childminding service.

How long have you been using a childminder?

What are the main reasons that you chose to use a childminder?

Why did you choose your particular childminder?

Did you consider other childcare options instead of using a childminder?

Does your child attend other childcare settings too? (note whether informal, or formal /a blended model)

Are you eligible for funded hours for your child/ren? [If Necessary: I mean the free early learning and childcare that’s provided by the Scottish Government for 3 and 4 year olds and some eligible 2 year olds]

Are your childminding hours funded though the local authority/Scottish Government?

• Have the hours always been funded? / how long for?

And if so, did your entitlement to funded hours make a difference to your choice to use a childminder?

What do you think makes a good childminder?

• What kinds of qualities and skills do they need to have?
• What are the top three things you want in a childminder?

In an ideal world, what would your childcare arrangements be?

Impact Of COVID-19

We know that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on parents and childcare arrangements, particularly when schools and nurseries closed last year. I’d now like to ask you a little more about that. If there’s anything you would prefer not to talk about, please just say and we can move on.

If Not Already Covered: Has Covid-19 changed your childcare arrangements?

[Probe On Childminding Specifically]

Has Covid-19 changed how you use your childminder at the moment?

Has Covid-19 changed how you think about your childcare arrangements/using a childminder in the long term?

If They Started Using Childminding Services Since The Pandemic:

You mentioned that you started using a childminder during the Covid-19 pandemic. Do you plan to continue using them in the future?

If They Relied On Childcare Services Which Closed Due To COVID-19:

You mentioned that you used to use childcare services which closed that closed due to the pandemic. Do you plan to return to these services and why?

Benefits For Children

I’d now like to focus on what a childminding setting provides for your children.

Firstly, what do you think are the benefits of childminding for your child(ren)?

For Each Benefit Mentioned Probe, If Necessary, On:

• What is it about the childminding environment in particular that supports that?
• Can you give an example?
• Clarify if the benefit is in contrast to nursery and/or other care

Are there any other particular benefits for your child(ren) compared to a nursery setting?

Are there any other particular benefits for your child(ren) compared with informal care from grandparents or other relatives?

Prompt If Not Mentioned- Are there any benefits in relation to:

• The home environment?
• The number or mix of other children?
• The continuity of care (being cared for by same childminder for years)?
• Support for transitions to group settings
• Children’s learning and development? Which aspects?
• Emotionally? (for the child/ren)
• Social skills?
• Behaviour?
• The different activities they can do?

And more generally, what would you say are the disadvantages or limitations of childminding for children, if any?

Prompt If Needed:

• less opportunity for mixing in larger social groups
• Anything else?

Benefits For Parents

Now, I’d like to focus on the benefits of childminding for you as a parent or carer and for your family.

What do you think are the main benefits of childminding for you and your wider family?

For Each Benefit Mentioned Probe, If Necessary, On:

• What is it about the childminding environment in particular that supports that?
• Can you give an example?
• Clarify if the benefit is in contrast to nursery and/or other care

Are there any other particular benefits compared to a nursery setting?

Are there any other particular benefits compared with informal care from grandparents or other relatives?

Prompt If Not Mentioned, are there any benefits for parents in relation to:

• The hours provided?
• Being able to look after siblings?
• The continuity of care (children being cared for by same childminder for years)?

And more generally, what would you say are the disadvantages or limitations of childminding, from a parents’ perspective, if any?

Prompt If Needed:

• Practical – e.g. having to take holidays at same time as the childminder, lack of cover if they are unwell
• Anything else?

Funded Hours

Ask Only If Using ELC Funding: Did being able to use your child’s funded hours with your childminder shape your decision to use them or continue using them?

Would you recommend using funded hours with a childminder?

If Not Using Funded Hours: What are the reasons you do not use funded hours with your childminder? (may not be offered/eligible, but check for any other reasons)

Would you consider using childminding services as part of your child(ren)’s funded ELC?

Blended Care

Ask If Using Blended Model (2+ formal childcare settings):

You mentioned that your child/ren attend the childminder plus nursery / playgroup / another formal childcare setting –

What are the main reasons for that?

What are the benefits of having them in different childcare settings?

And what are the disadvantages?

Do you prefer one setting over the other for you child/ren?

Recommending Childminding Services

What would you say to other parents considering using a childminder?

• what are the main selling points?
• what are the potential downsides?

What would encourage a greater use of childminders in Scotland?

Is there anything else that would make it more attractive to more parents and carers?

Prompt If Not Mentioned: do you think more childminders delivering funded hours would encourage more parents to use them?

Wrap Up

We’re just coming to the end of the discussion now, but before we do, is there anything else you would like to say about the impact of childminding on your child, your family or just in general? That’s everything I wanted to ask you today, thank you very much for taking the time to speak to me.