A childminder who admitted wilfully neglecting and abandoning children in her care has been jailed for two years. Amanda Mathewson, 55, looked after many more children than the eight she was allowed, and at one point 27 were found at her home in Dunfermline, Fife.
Details of the Offending
Some of the children were found unsupervised in the garden and others were strapped into prams in an upstairs room. Evidence showed she had "repeatedly" left children at her home unsupervised. The offences took place at a number of addresses in Dunfermline and elsewhere between September 7, 2023 and August 26, 2024. They all involved children under 16 – with some being less than a year old.
Mathewson used "various steps" to conceal her wrongdoing from parents and organisations. These included requiring parents to text her before coming to collect their children, and keeping other children hidden inside rooms when they did so.
How Concerns Were Raised
Concerns were raised when some parents noticed their children – who she was meant to be looking after – were not with her when she made a school run on August 26, 2024. Other parents had noticed their children were coming home thirsty, or with immaculate clothing despite Mathewson claiming they had eaten "messy meals".
Mathewson had worked as a self-employed childminder for about 30 years before she was arrested in August 2024. At Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court in October, she admitted wilfully neglecting, abandoning and exposing children in a manner likely to cause them unnecessary suffering or injury to their health.
Sentencing and Impact
At the same court on Friday, Sheriff John MacRitchie sentenced her to two years in prison. He said more than 90 victim impact statements had been submitted by those affected by Mathewson's offending. Handing down his sentence, the judge told Mathewson: "Your qualifications and experience mean you understand the developmental vulnerability of babies and young children, the need for constant supervision, (and) the obvious risks created by leaving them without an adult. The potential for catastrophic harm was enormous."
He said her conduct involved "planning and premeditation", and that she had "followed a course of deception and has taken various steps to avoid parents being aware of the fact that far too many children are being accepted into her care". He told her only a custodial sentence is appropriate. "A non-custodial sentence would fail to reflect the seriousness of the offence, and fail properly to punish, and fail to express society's grave disapproval of your conduct," the judge said.
Mathewson, who was present in court and wearing a black dress, showed no emotion as the sentence was handed down. Dozens of parents attended the sentencing, and they quietly celebrated in the public gallery when Mathewson was jailed. More than 20 watched proceedings on an online feed.
Background and Aftermath
Mathewson had been given a glowing report by the Care Inspectorate following an unannounced inspection on August 7, 2023 – just weeks before her offending began. The report rated her "very good" on all measures, and said children were being cared for in a "comfortable, welcoming and homely environment" and with "warmth, kindness and a nurturing approach".
Following sentencing, a spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate said: "This was a shocking case and our thoughts are with those affected. Amanda Mathewson broke the trust of families and children, and the crime for which she is responsible has been dealt with by the courts. The Care Inspectorate has listened carefully to parents who raised concerns with us and we have reviewed how we work following learning from this case. This has included updating our inspection, complaints and conflict of interest procedures. We have provided new ways to submit feedback on childminders both during and out-with inspections. We have also provided clearer resources to help families understand what to expect from their childminder. It is important to note that this case does not reflect the wider childminding sector. The overwhelming majority of childminders in Scotland provide safe, nurturing care for children, with more than 90% receiving grades of good or better at inspection."
