Maternal Assistants House (MAM): what is it?
MAMs are more popular than ever with parents. But how does a home for childminders work? What are the benefits for children and parents? Focus on this childcare method.
What is it about ?
A House of Childminders is a structure bringing together several childminders practicing their profession together.
An alternative to crèches and nannies, the Houses of Childminders were created with the law of June 9, 2010.
Today, MAMs make it easier for childminders to exercise their profession. Professionals thus benefit from a space other than their accommodation to look after the children. They can also reap the benefits of teamwork.
Conditions and rules in MAM
In a childminder's house,each assistant still works directly for the parents who recruited them. Depending on her accreditation, a childminder can look after up to 4 children.
A childminder in a MAM must have specific approval from the president of the departmental council.
Within the MAM, mutual assistance is up to date. In the event of the absence of a colleague, the assistants can look after another child, if an authorization for childcare is signed.
Regardless of the status of the MAM, it is indeed the parents who pay childminders. Pricing varies according to the volume of hours per child. Parents continue to receive their aid from CAF, even if the childminder works in MAM.
For parents, whether the child is cared for in MAM or at home, the conditions of payment and paid leave are the same.
The benefits of MAM
More dynamic
First of all, MAMs are appreciated for their dynamism.
Like the crèche, the children can chat and play together. Surrounded by numerous early learning toys and facilities, the little ones can play and discover the world. The little explorers learn to live in society, live and grow together.
Also, many childminders explain that they prefer MAMs because they allow them to help each other and work together. Alone in her home, the childminder is more likely to suffer from loneliness. She is also required to make the difference between professional and personal life. These difficulties encountered by the home childminder have consequences on the quality of their work. However, babies can feel this stress... It is to prevent these risks that MAMs were created.
In a MAM, the childminders being together, they encourage each other and organize themselves to always offer new activities to the children. This dynamism is felt by the children.
More fulfilled at work, they can only provide a better environment for children to grow.
Certified & individualized personalized follow-up
Supervised by certified childminders, the little ones have everything they need to grow up in a safe environment.
Unlike the crèche, you will have scrupulously chosen your child's childminder, and will be able to discuss schedules and prices with her, for personalized follow-up.
It is also an opportunity to exchange advice and tips, particularly on decoration of your baby's room with childminders so that you make the best choices for your child.
MAM therefore combines the advantages of the crèche, by bringing the children together and getting them to play and grow together, and the advantages of personalized monitoring such as with a nanny. For all these reasons, more and more parents are opting for MAMs.
How do I choose my MAM?
Are you interested in the Maisons d’Assistantes Nurseries?
To choose a MAM near you, go to:
- your town hall or
- the Maternal and Child Protection Service (PMI) or
- in a Maternal Assistants Relay (RAM).
Thus, you will find out about all the MAMs near your home or workplace, and can choose the ones that suit you.
On social networks, you will find MAM accounts sharing their news, and presenting the different services they offer. As a parent, you will thus have a first view of how MAMs work.
