A veteran Dunfermline childminder has pleaded guilty to willful neglect after evidence revealed she left 27 children alone and unsupervised at her home. Amanda Mathewson, 55, who had operated as a self-employed childcare provider for 30 years, admitted to charges at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court concerning offences that took place between September 2023 and August 2024.
Court proceedings established that Mathewson was caring for 19 more children than her maximum licensed capacity of eight. At the time of her arrest by Police Scotland, officers discovered 15 children under the age of 12, 10 children below primary school age, and two infants under one year old inside her property in the Tolmount Drive area.
Discovery of the Neglect and Police Investigation
The scale of the oversubscription and subsequent abandonment came to light after two parents investigated discrepancies in a scheduled school run. Upon visiting Mathewson’s home, witnesses heard a child screaming and located five unattended children in the garden with no adult supervision.
Further checks inside the unlocked house revealed a crying child hidden beneath a kitchen table, alongside nine additional children under five years old locked in an upstairs bedroom, with two strapped into prams. Ring doorbell footage presented to the court confirmed that children had been left completely unsupervised inside the property for at least 30 minutes on multiple occasions.
Detective Inspector Stephanie Drummond commented on the operation, stating: “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.”
Community Impact and Deception Tactics
Parents affected by the case described Mathewson as a master manipulator who successfully maintained an unblemished public reputation while operating illegally. Families noted that Mathewson routinely played loud music and prevented parents from entering her home during drop-off and pick-up times to conceal the dangerously high number of children present.
Distressing details emerged during the investigation, with parents reporting that children frequently returned home thirsty, wearing dirty nappies, or with dry faeces in their underwear. Despite these warning signs, Mathewson consistently provided plausible explanations that neutralized parental concerns.
One parent shared the emotional toll of the discovery: “We have had to rewrite eight years of history and have lost happy memories because the belief we had, that our children were being cared for, was not true. This woman was a master manipulator and she has got away with these things for years.”
Regulatory Scrutiny and Care Inspectorate Role
The case has sparked intense scrutiny regarding the oversight provided by the Care Inspectorate. An unannounced inspection conducted in August 2023-approximately one month before the offending period began-had rated Mathewson’s childminding service as “very good” across categories including care, learning, and the setting.
Under her registration conditions, Mathewson was permitted to look after a maximum of eight children, with strict limits restricting the number of under-12s, school-age children, and infants under 12 months. Local families have questioned how such severe oversubscription avoided regulatory detection for nearly a year.
A spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate acknowledged the severity of the situation, stating: “This was a distressing case and our thoughts are with those affected. We regularly reflect on our practice to ensure we continually improve. We have implemented changes as a result of learning from this case.” Fife Council confirmed it assisted partner agencies throughout the inquiry, though Mathewson was not a council employee.
Next Steps in Legal Proceedings
Sheriff John MacRitchie deferred sentencing until November 6 to allow background reports to be prepared. Mathewson’s bail has been continued pending her final sentencing appearance at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.
