Key facts
- Childminder Amanda Mathewson admitted to neglecting and abandoning children.
- She was caring for 27 children, 19 more than her license allowed.
- Parents discovered the neglect after finding their children unsupervised.
- Children were found distressed but uninjured, some strapped in prams.
- Mathewson claimed children were left alone for at least 30 minutes.
- Sentencing is scheduled for November 6.
A Dunfermline childminder, Amanda Mathewson, 55, has pleaded guilty to charges of neglect and abandoning children in her care. The offenses occurred at multiple locations in Dunfermline and across Fife. Mathewson admitted to leaving 27 children unsupervised in her home, significantly exceeding the eight children she was licensed to care for.
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard that two parents became suspicious when informed their children were not present during a school run. Upon investigating, they found five unattended children in the garden of Mathewson's home, with one child reporting no adults were present. Inside the unlocked house, they discovered another child crying under a kitchen table and nine more children, all under five, in an upstairs bedroom, two of whom were strapped into prams. The children were distressed but uninjured.
Mathewson told police the children had been left alone for at least 30 minutes, and ring doorbell footage indicated this was the second time that day they had been left unattended. Parents reported that their children often returned home thirsty, hungry, or in dirty nappies, and some children expressed reluctance to attend the childminder's home.
An unannounced inspection by the Care Inspectorate about a year before Mathewson's arrest had rated her care, learning environment, and setting as 'very good'. The report described a 'comfortable, welcoming and homely environment' where children were 'cared for with warmth, kindness and a nurturing approach'. A spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate called it a 'distressing case' and stated changes have been implemented as a result of learning from it.
Sentencing has been deferred to November 6 to allow for background reports. Mathewson's bail was continued.