Now, you will be glad to know I don't often just republish stuff from tinternet, but this is the most ridiculous thing I have read for a long time. Luckily for the Crandons we only have Jeremy for an hour and a quarter on Tuesday mornings, and they only had H and A for two hours on Mondays a while back, but if we push over that magic 2 hours we might find ourselves illegally childminding for each other. So, if Jeremy comes back with me after school til 4pm on the odd occasion, I shall be a lawbreaker and guilty of illegal acts. HOW BLOODY RIDICULOUS. Whatever happened to being friends with people and sharing your lives in common? Be warned if you have thought of swapping children with someone else and working part time, goodness me I have a list already of people to report to Ofsted for such criminality.

here it comes:

Children's Minister Vernon Coaker has called for a review of the case of two female police officers who were told that they were breaking the law by caring for each other's children in a reciprocal arrangement.

The two detective constables, Leanne Shepherd, from Milton Keynes, and Lucy Jarrett, from Buckingham, told the BBC how they were “shocked” when an inspector from Ofsted turned up on Ms Shepherd’s doorstep. The inspector told Ms Shepherd that she was acting on a complaint that had been made that claimed that she had been “illegally childminding”. Ofsted said the arrangement contravened the Childcare Act because it lasted for longer than two hours a day, and constituted receiving "a reward". Ofsted said that to continue looking after each other’s children, the women would have to be registered as childminders. The two mothers were forced to end their arrangement.
Vernon Coaker confirmed that his department was talking to Ofsted about this particular case.
Ms Shepherd, who serves with Thames Valley Police, told the BBC; "A lady came to the front door and she identified herself as being from Ofsted. She said a complaint had been made that I was illegally childminding...So I invited her in and told her situation - the arrangement between Lucy and I - and I was shocked when she told me I was breaking the law." Ms Jarrett added: "Our children were never in any harm, they were never in any danger. To think that they would waste their time and effort on innocent people who are trying to provide for their families by returning to the workplace... Surely their time and effort would be better placed elsewhere."
The two women had decided on the reciprocal childcaring arrangement when they both decided to go back to work, because nursery fees were too expensive, and their children felt happy and settled in each other’s homes.
Thames Valley Police Federation said the officers had its "full support". Secretary Andy Viney said: "Both of them are experienced professional officers. They just want to return to work after having children and have found that the system is working totally against them. They've been threatened with prosecution by Ofsted if they continue doing this."
An Ofsted spokesman said it applied regulations found in the Childcare Act 2006, but was currently discussing the interpretation of the word "reward" with the department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). "Reward is not just a case of money changing hands. The supply of services or goods and, in some circumstances, reciprocal arrangements can also constitute reward.”
If mothers care for other people’s children for less than two hours or it takes place on less than 14 days in a year, they do not need to be registered. But; "Where such arrangements are regular and for longer periods, then registration is usually required." Close relatives of children, such as grandparents, siblings, aunts or uncles, were exempt from the rules, the spokesman added.
Children’s charity Kidscape reacted by commenting that the decision defied common sense and would impose extra childcare costs on families.Membership of My Child.Children's Minister Vernon Coaker has called for a review of the case of two female police officers who were told that they were breaking the law by caring for each other's children in a reciprocal arrangement.

The two detective constables, Leanne Shepherd, from Milton Keynes, and Lucy Jarrett, from Buckingham, told the BBC how they were “shocked” when an inspector from Ofsted turned up on Ms Shepherd’s doorstep. The inspector told Ms Shepherd that she was acting on a complaint that had been made that claimed that she had been “illegally childminding”. Ofsted said the arrangement contravened the Childcare Act because it lasted for longer than two hours a day, and constituted receiving "a reward". Ofsted said that to continue looking after each other’s children, the women would have to be registered as childminders. The two mothers were forced to end their arrangement.
Vernon Coaker confirmed that his department was talking to Ofsted about this particular case.
Ms Shepherd, who serves with Thames Valley Police, told the BBC; "A lady came to the front door and she identified herself as being from Ofsted. She said a complaint had been made that I was illegally childminding...So I invited her in and told her situation - the arrangement between Lucy and I - and I was shocked when she told me I was breaking the law." Ms Jarrett added: "Our children were never in any harm, they were never in any danger. To think that they would waste their time and effort on innocent people who are trying to provide for their families by returning to the workplace... Surely their time and effort would be better placed elsewhere."
The two women had decided on the reciprocal childcaring arrangement when they both decided to go back to work, because nursery fees were too expensive, and their children felt happy and settled in each other’s homes.
Thames Valley Police Federation said the officers had its "full support". Secretary Andy Viney said: "Both of them are experienced professional officers. They just want to return to work after having children and have found that the system is working totally against them. They've been threatened with prosecution by Ofsted if they continue doing this."
An Ofsted spokesman said it applied regulations found in the Childcare Act 2006, but was currently discussing the interpretation of the word "reward" with the department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). "Reward is not just a case of money changing hands. The supply of services or goods and, in some circumstances, reciprocal arrangements can also constitute reward.”
If mothers care for other people’s children for less than two hours or it takes place on less than 14 days in a year, they do not need to be registered. But; "Where such arrangements are regular and for longer periods, then registration is usually required." Close relatives of children, such as grandparents, siblings, aunts or uncles, were exempt from the rules, the spokesman added.
Children’s charity Kidscape reacted by commenting that the decision defied common sense and would impose extra childcare costs on families.