A veteran childminder who was licensed to care for just eight children crammed 27 youngsters into her home - leaving toddlers screaming alone while she went on the school run - has admitted to child neglect.
Amanda Mathewson, 55, pleaded guilty at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court to charges of wilfully neglecting, abandoning and exposing children in her care to unnecessary suffering or health risks. Mathewson, who had operated as a self-employed childminder in Dunfermline and across Fife, Scotland, for 30 years, was arrested following a police probe into cruelty allegations.
At the time of her arrest, court documents revealed she was looking after 15 children under 12, 10 under primary school age and two babies under the age of one - hugely exceeding her legal capacity by 19 children.
Parents discover abandoned children
The shocking scale of Mathewson's operation came to light after two suspicious parents noticed their children were missing while the childminder was supposedly on a school run. Deciding to check for themselves, they drove to the school and discovered their children were not with her. They then rushed to Mathewson's home, where they heard a child screaming and found five unattended children left waiting in the garden.
One child told the horrified witnesses that there were no adults inside the house and that Mathewson had instructed them to wait outside. As they approached the front door, they heard another child screaming hysterically from inside. Finding the door unlocked, they stepped inside and discovered a child crying beneath the kitchen table.
An upstairs bedroom revealed another nine children, all under the age of five, including two who were strapped tightly into prams. While uninjured, the children were found distressed, and police later confirmed that Mathewson had admitted to leaving them completely alone for at least 30 minutes. Ring doorbell footage revealed it was the second time that day the youngsters had been abandoned.
Repeated incidents and attempts to hide over-subscription
Investigators discovered that being left alone in the house was a "commonplace" occurrence. Parents reported that their children frequently became distressed and cried when dropped off at the house, with those who could speak begging not to go.
Children often returned home having likely not been fed or wearing dirty nappies. To hide her massive over-subscription, Mathewson reportedly kept loud music playing and barred parents from entering her home during drop-off times. When questioned about missing children or the number of children in her care, she routinely claimed she was being helped by a "child-minding friend".
Parents also grew alarmed that their children's clothes remained in "pristine condition," indicating they had not been fed all day, and noted that the youngsters consistently returned home desperately thirsty and, in some cases, wearing dirty nappies or with dry faeces in their underwear.
Mathewson also went to elaborate lengths to keep up appearances, attending a church Christmas party with just three children - despite having nine in her care that day - and sending the parents of the missing six generic photos. Similar discrepancies were noted during trips to a local sports day and the Dunfermline fire station.
Regulator response and sentencing
Ironically, an unannounced Care Inspectorate report from August 2023 - about a year before her arrest - had rated Mathewson's setting as "very good," noting a "comfortable, welcoming and homely environment". A spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate called it a "distressing case" and confirmed changes had been implemented as a result.
In a statement released to the BBC, one family affected by the scandal said: "The criminal case is important for justice. But our ultimate goal is to ensure no other family has to endure what we have been through. Our trust was broken, but our resolve is not. 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."
Sheriff John MacRitchie deferred sentencing until November 6 for background reports to be prepared and Mathewson's bail was continued.
