Feeling hopeful.

Filled out the forms last night and realised in the process that actually my shortfall this month isn't as much as I initially feared especially as I realised I have an extra income support payment at the end of the month - just how it works out with them paying me fortnightly. I hadn't accounted for that and from the next income support payment I will be receiving the full allowance which is about an extra £28 a month - not a lot sure, but I can eek out that sort of money for almost a month of food shopping if I have to.
As for the discretionary housing payments, I will find out early next week whether I'll be getting any help for a few months.

The lady I saw, gave me the distinct impression that she thought I would get payments for a couple of months, she seemed to be suggesting that the powers that be would look very favourably on the fact I've set myself up as a childminder and it's just a case of a family or two wanting me to mind their kiddies for them. Although, of course she did caution me, that she couldn't promise anything because it wasn't up to her. She said a slightly odd thing too, she told me I had an angel looking out for me and that she thought I would be ok and the childminding would be successful. Hey, I'll take all the encouragement and good vibes I can get!

So not totally out of the woods yet, nonetheless, it's all looking a little more promising and I've learned some valuable lessons. Cos you know, I can whinge about how I was given misinformation by the NCMA, I can whinge at EDF faffing around which has caused me no end of financial headaches and so forth - but all this would have been avoided had I simply called Ofsted before I finished work and asked them if my current CRB check was acceptable, instead of taking the NCMA's assurance it was. I wouldn't have resigned my job and sure my role with the KDAAT was at risk, but working for the council means I would have had first pickings at other jobs within the council and I could have worked for them until my registration etc came through... and then no hassles. Ahhh hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Not going to worry about it anymore now, I've done all the mundane stuff I can, including making and printing some posters to advertise my business and with any luck the County Council will have recieved my registration details from Ofsted and will send out the forms so I can put my business on the Children's Information Service website (it is the first port of call for parent's looking for any type of childcare). So now I trust it will pay dividends and the Gods will give everything a little nudge for me :-)