A childminder has admitted leaving more than 20 children unsupervised at her home while they were in her care.
Amanda Mathewson, 55, pleaded guilty at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court to wilfully neglecting and abandoning children entrusted to her. Dozens of parents from the local area attended the hearing.
The court heard that Mathewson had 27 children at her Dunfermline home, despite being licensed to care for only eight — meaning she was responsible for 19 more children than permitted, according to the BBC.
She was arrested after allegations of cruelty emerged, following concerns raised by parents about school runs Mathewson had been carrying out.
Local reports said one couple went into Mathewson’s house after becoming concerned about their child. They allegedly found several children alone inside, shut away and crying, while the childminder was absent.
At the time of her arrest, Mathewson was caring for 15 children under the age of 12, including 10 below primary-school age and two babies under one.
Mathewson had worked as a self-employed childminder for 30 years, providing care at her Dunfermline home for children aged under 16.
During the police investigation, several children reportedly told their parents that being left alone in Mathewson’s house happened regularly and had become “commonplace”.
Amanda Mathewson, 55, (pictured) admitted wilfully neglecting and abandoning children in her care at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court, where dozens of local parents were present.
The court heard Mathewson had 27 children at her home — 19 above the number allowed under her registration. Pictured: Mathewson leaving court.
Parents also told investigators that some children became distressed when they were taken to Mathewson’s property.
The hearing was told that some children appeared not to have eaten and returned home thirsty. Other concerns included children coming back in dirty nappies or with dried faeces in their underwear.
Parents also said they had sometimes seen Mathewson in public with fewer children than she was expected to be supervising.
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On one occasion, Mathewson went to a church Christmas party with three children, although she was reportedly caring for nine that day. She was also seen at a sports day and visiting Dunfermline fire station with fewer children than she was responsible for.
Court documents alleged that Mathewson played loud music and prevented parents from entering the house during drop-off, in an effort to “conceal how oversubscribed she was”.
Mathewson said she had support from a “child-minding friend”.
A Care Inspectorate report issued in August 2023 stated that Mathewson was registered to care for no more than eight children at any one time.
The registration allowed up to six children under 12, a maximum of three who had started primary school and no more than one child under 12 months.
The unannounced inspection took place roughly a year before her arrest and rated areas such as care, learning and the overall setting as “very good”.
The report described Mathewson’s home as “comfortable, welcoming and homely”, adding that the children were treated with “warmth, kindness and a nurturing approach”.
A spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate told the BBC that it has ‘implemented changes as a result of learning from this case’.
In a statement, one of the parents 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.’
Detective Inspector Stephanie Drummond said: ‘This was a complex investigation into a number of offences under the Children and Young Persons Act.
‘Amanda Mathewson was arrested and charged on Wednesday, 2 July, 2025, following enquiries into offences which took place in the Dunfermline area between September 2023, and August 2024.
‘We worked with a range of partner agencies during our enquiries.
‘We remain wholly committed to supporting victims of crime and protecting children from harm and will use all available resources during our investigation.’