Childminder leaves 27 children unsupervised for 30 minutes

A Dunfermline childminder has pleaded guilty to neglect after police discovered she left 27 children alone and unsupervised in her home. Amanda Mathewson, 55, entered the plea at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court to charges of abandoning and neglecting children in her care. She had been running a self-employed childminding service for 30 years.

The case unraveled when two parents grew suspicious during a school run. After finding their children missing, they visited Mathewson’s home and heard a child screaming. They found five unattended children in the garden, who said Mathewson had told them to "wait in the garden" while adults stayed inside. Entering the unlocked house, the parents discovered more children crying, including nine youngsters under five in an upstairs bedroom, two of whom were strapped into prams. The children were distressed but uninjured.

Mathewson told police the kids had been left alone for at least 30 minutes. Doorbell camera footage showed it was the second time that day the children were left unattended. A subsequent police investigation revealed this neglect was routine. Children told officers they were routinely left alone, returned home hungry and thirsty, and sometimes with soiled nappies. Parents also noted Mathewson played loud music and blocked their entry during drop-off to hide how many children she actually had.

Records show Mathewson was licensed by the Care Inspectorate to care for a maximum of eight children at any time. Her registration capped children under 12 at six, primary-age children at three, and infants under 12 months at one. The court heard she held 15 children under 12, 10 under primary age, and two under the age of one in her home on the day of her arrest. Despite an unannounced inspection about a year prior rating her setting as very good, the agency confirmed the incident is a distressing case that prompted immediate regulatory changes.

Sheriff John MacRitchie postponed sentencing to 6 November to allow background reports to be completed. Mathewson remains on bail. One affected family said they are pushing for stronger childcare oversight. "We have turned our pain into a purpose: to rebuild the system of childcare regulation and family support so that it is truly fit to protect Scotland's children," the parent stated.