A report on from the BBC today states that people who regularly mind their friends children could be breaking the law. According to OFSTED, parents who look after children for more than 2 hours at a time or more than 14 days a year should register as childminders or they are breaking the law.

Women often find childcare is a huge obstacle to returning to work after having children. It is no suprise that friends help each other out.

I tweeted the BBC article earlier today and it was no suprise that parents were insensed.

The BBC article

What do you think?

Could you be ‘in trouble’ if this rule is inforced more often?

Do you think Ofsted are right?

What does ISOFIX stand for?
International Standards Organisation Fix

What is ISOFIX? 

• ISOFIX  is a standard for installing child seats into cars and is intended to make fitting child seats quick and simple.
• Car manufacturers and car seat manufacturers build ISOFIX points into their product. You can then easily plug an ISOFIX car seat into ISOFIX points on a car.
• All new cars are fitted with ISOFIX points. But it is important to make sure that any ISOFIX seats that you use in your car are suitable for that car. It is not yet the case that any ISOFIX seat will fit in every car with ISOFIX points.

Why is ISOFIX recommended?
Many car seats are fitted incorrectly – this is dangerous and potentially fatal.
ISOFIX makes it easier, safer and often quicker to fix a car seat correctly and securely into your car.

How does ISOFIX work?
The ISOFIX system works by attaching the car seat directly and securely to the car itself. This is opposed to fitting the car seat with adult seat belts, as in traditional car seats.

Does my car have ISOFIX?

• Your car manual, dealer or manufacturer will tell you whether your car has ISOFIX mounting points.
• Not all cars with ISOFIX anchorage points fitted will necessarily fit your chosen seat.
• Can you return your seat if  it doesn’t fit, or try before you buy? For example, a friend of mine has a car that SHOULD fit my baby’s ISOFIX seat, the manufacturers guidelines say it will – but it doesn’t.

Types of ISOFIX

Universal
Three isofix anchorage points. For forward facing car seats (Group 1 and above).
From Feb 2006, every car produced will have Universal Isofix anchorage points.

Semi-Universal
Two Isofix anchorage points with supportive leg.
It is a car specific solution, so you should refer to a compatibility listing to ensure it fits your car.

Rearward-facing car seats (Group 0+) can only be semi-universal.

Car Specific
Two Isofix anchorage points which can be converted to ‘Universal’ by using a top tether strap.

Do all ISOFIX car seats fit all cars with ISOFIX anchorage points ?

• This is the idea, but it hasn’t happened yet. Check compatibility with your car and the seat you intend to buy.
• Your car manual, dealer or manufacturer will tell you whether your car has ISOFIX mounting points, and the manufacturer of the car seat will tell you which make and models of car will be suitable for each car seat.
• Many of the child seat manufacturers have a fitting list on their website that tells you which cars their seats will fit in.

MaxiCosi and Britax are market leaders in the UK for producing ISOFIX car seats, follow these links for a list of cars their seats are suitable for.

MaxiCosi
http://www.maxi-cosi.co.uk/maxicosi/default.aspx?language=gb-en
Britax
http://www.britax.co.uk

Why is ISOFIX  safer than traditional car seats?
You may have seen reports where most children’s car seats are fitted badly.
As you don’t need to use adult seatbelts to fit the car seat, ISOFIX greatly reduces the risk of fitting the car seat badly.

This was my primary consideration when looking for a car seat. I knew we were going to use one seat in several cars, therefore it seemed sensible to have a car seat that didn’t use adult seatbelts.

Other related articles:
Baby car seat – first things first – safety.
Baby car seat jargon buster.

For more information on individual ISOFIX car seats and bases, have a look at the products below. Click on the images and there are has useful customer reviews, great prices, and items are delivered right to your door.

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