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Nindokra Plus
A Training Course for Childminders

•	Brief Description
•	Objectives of the Childminders Training Course
•	The Theoretical and Practical Element of the Course
•	The selection process
•	Results
•	Voices

Brief Description

Nindokra Plus is a childminding service provided during educational activities and courses offered by the FES for parents. FES offered a training course intended for childminders who would, on the completion of the course, be able to offer services to children of parents who are participating in the programmes of the Foundation for Educational Services (FES).

The Parents-in-Education (Id f'Id) Programme of the FES recognises that “parents are an important source of support for the curriculum” (Principle 14 of the National Curriculum). Experience has shown that the provision of adequate childminding during project activities is indispensable since it makes courses accessible to interested persons.

Since the inception of the Id f'Id Parents-in-Education Programme, childminding was always provided especially during the parent-to-parent courses. This was offered by volunteers from the community. However, in order for childminders to deliver a better service, a 30-hour training programme for childminders was organised between October and December 2004.

Nindokra Plus aims to facilitate the process whereby parents who are trained to become childminders become:

• more knowledgeable and skilled in the area of childminding during educational activities for adults;

• capable of offering the best possible quality childminding to the children of participants following FES Parent-to-Parent Courses;

• more confident in their own parenting skills

• more actively involved in their personal emancipation and in their life-long learning journey;

• equipped to combine their parenthood with service provision.

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Objectives of the Childminders Training Course

• to train a group of child minders who can offer quality childminding during courses for parents;

• to help course participants reflect on the nature and importance of their role and responsibilities when offering their services;

• to make participants aware that childminding goes beyond looking after the physical well being of the child;

• to enable participants develop practical skills for effective childminding;

• to enable participants develop their ability to be creative when interacting with the children who are under their care;

• to help participants build their personal portfolio of creative resources which they can make use of during service provision.

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The Theoretical and Practical Element of the Course

The course was designed to familiarize participants with a broad range of knowledge and skills needed by child minders when offering their services to the FES . It explored issues such as the role and responsibilities of a child minder and how to communicate effectively with children. Emphasis was given to the importance of story telling and play and how these can be carried out effectively by the participants when they are child minding. Sessions on art and craft, music and drama and physical activity were given their due importance. Tutors offered practical hands-on sessions to potential childminders and participants were encouraged to develop a portfolio of creative resources inspired by the activities carried out during the sessions. Sessions relating to challenging behaviour, different needs, and relationships with parents and health and safety policies were also addressed.

The practicum was carried out during a Parent-to-Parent Course within the Id f'Id programme of the FES . During the practicum, participants demonstrated that they were implementing the knowledge and skills covered during the theoretical element of the course.

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The selection process

There was a clear selection criterion for parents to apply for the Childminding course. These were parents who had given a voluntary service (without remuneration) to the FES , ‘parent leaders' with the FES , or have experience in childminding. The parents who fit in this category were given preference when they applied to participate in the Nindokra Plus Course.

An interview was carried out to select participants. The members of the Selection Board included the delegate of the Parents-in-Education Programme Co-ordinator, the Nindokra Plus Course Organiser, a ‘Parent Leader' who has given a service in an Id f'Id Programme and benefited from childminding service in the past.

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Results

• Twenty seven parents registered for this course.

• Nineteen applicants completed the course.

• All participants developed a portfolio of resources. In fact each participant built a personal portfolio of resources during their training course which they are now using during their service delivery.

• From the nineteen childminders who completed the course, fourteen gave a sterling service during the parent-to-parent courses held between February – March 2005.

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Voices

“Mill-kors indunajt li childminding huwa xoghol ta' hsieb u responsabilta' kbira” Childminder

“Irrealizzajt kemm il-loghob huwa importanti fl-izvilupp shih

tat-tfal...fl-izvilupp tal-lingwa, fl-izvilupp socjali,
fil-kreattivita`, fl-immaginazzjoni u l-hsieb...”
Childminder

“Kien possibli ghalija li nattendi dan il-kors kollu
proprju ghax kellna s-servizz ta' childminding”
Genitur li ghamlet uzu mic-childminding

“Nirringrazzja lic-childminders li kellna matul il-kors taghna
il-genituri ghax mhux biss zammewhom okkupati, izda
ghallmuhom loghob interessanti u kienu ferhanin”
Genitur li ghamlet uzu mic-childminding

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