Elaine V

About Me

I’m Elaine (Sedgefield Tidgy Puds Childcare - website) and I live with my husband Ian, and son Charlie. We have lived in Sedgefield since 2001. I first became a Registered Childminder in 2010 and I am extremely passionate and dedicated to my role as a professional child care provider. My highest priority is the safeguarding, caring, the happiness and the well being for all my children. I have cared for children from the ages of 6 months up to 14 years old, whom I still keep in touch with. The children are offered love, security, attention, consistency and lots of opportunities to learn, play, enjoy and be themselves, both inside and out. I live in a three bedroom semi detached house on Winterton Park estate, which is child friendly, throughly clean and well maintained, with plenty of space, including a wide range of toys both indoors and out, with activities for children of all ages. I have a large back garden with a high secured fence and a locked gate at all times. There is also a large spacious green area directly in front of my front garden, and with written permission from parents, the older children +6, can choose to play sports i.e. football, cricket, rounders, tennis, bikes, scooters etc. I have my own car, which is a 7 seater as it helps especially in bad weather so the children don't have to walk, even though I do promote walking to and from school for exercise and fresh air, plus the children can chat about their day and also experiencing the world around them. I have a full clean driving licence, the car is taxed with business insurance to cover my work. The children all have car seats appropriate to their age when the car is used. I promote a safe, happy, healthy environment in and outside of my home for all of the children. The children can make their own choices of what activities they would like to do, with a wide range of picture cards to choose from, as it is important for a child’s learning and development, ie baking, painting, craft play, making dens, Park, feeding the ducks, garden play in the outside play area, exploring the outdoors, like the season changes, bugs searching, links with the local community, parks and trips out, giving them life experiences of being cared for, in a home environment.
We also have 2 cats called Bluebell and Horace, and a small dog called Wilbur, which the children adore. The cats come and go using cat flaps, and usually stay well away due to noise and the dog stays in the kitchen area in his crate/bed.