Goodbye DfES / Childminders

Undoubtedly the biggest news of the last couple of days in the childcare and education sector is the break-up of the DfES. New prime minister Gordon Brown has instead created two new ministries, so in future we'll all have to get used to watching the work of the new Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). No doubt it will take a few days for a detailed overview of how the new body will operate, but until then this Q&A article from the Guardian will give you a little information about the new ministry, as will Brown Shakes Up Education Arena from the BBC.

On a different note, yesterday saw my first ever solo babysitting experience, with a well-behaved but very lively 18 month old child. Thankfully I survived, but this seems like a good excuse to mention the work of the National Childminding Association, who perhaps could have given me a few tips before I started. The site contains information for both parents and prospective childminders alike, while the publications page is a great source of free documents.