Childminders A registered childminder - a professional carer who works in their own home - can provide your child with care and learning opportunities in a family setting. Find out what qualifications your childminder should have and how much you should expect to pay.

In this article

What's a registered childminder? Ages covered

Pros Cons

Typical costs How to find a childminder

A childminder is self-employed and has to be registered with the appropriate Government regulatory bodies. When registered, a childminder is checked for references, training, police record and health, and their home is inspected to make sure it's a safe and suitable environment for children.

After registration, a childminder is checked every one to three years to ensure they're continuing to provide a safe and suitable service.

All childminders in England and Wales (although not yet in Scotland and Northern Ireland) are required to complete a basic registration course, including first aid training. They may also have other childcare qualifications (eg, an NVQ in Early Years Care and Education, a vocational qualification at Level 3).

A childminder may look after children of any age from babies to teenagers, but registration regulations only apply to care provided for children under the age of eight.

Government regulations stipulate that a childminder is allowed to look after six children under the age of eight (under 12 in Scotland and Northern Ireland). Of those six, no more than three should be under the age of five; of those three, no more than one should be under the age of one (exceptions are made for siblings).

Any care for children over the age of eight should not be allowed to adversely affect the care provided for children under eight.

• Childminders are registered and are inspected regularly, and may have childcare qualifications
• They are likely to be an experienced childcarer and often have children of their own
• They may live locally
• They may offer flexible hours
• They may be prepared to drop off/collect from nursery/school
• Your child will have other children to play with
• They'll be cared for in a small group
• They'll be in a home environment
• They'll probably have continuity of care, especially if the childminder is prepared to do after-school hours
• Childminders may become life-long friends

• The childminder will probably want to organise her daily routine to suit her lifestyle rather than yours
• They're likely to be dealing with a range of ages - you must decide if this is suitable for your child
• They may not be flexible about hours
• They may not be prepared to drop off/collect from nursery/school
• They probably won't be able to look after your child if he is ill
• You may prefer to have your child looked after individually

You'll need to agree a contract with your childminder to cover hours, holidays, overtime and so on. As self-employed people, childminders have the right to agree their own fees. Fees vary from area to area but expect to pay:

• In England and Wales, anything from £3 to £6 an hour
• In Scotland, an average of around £2.45 an hour, rising to a maximum of around £4 an hour
• In Northern Ireland, a recommended minimum rate of £2.30 an hour, rising to a maximum of around £3.50 an hour

National Childminding Association of England and Wales
Freephone: 0800 169 4486
Website: www.ncma.org.uk

Scottish Childminding Association
Tel: 01786 445377
Website: www.childminding.org

Northern Ireland Childminding Association
Tel: 028 9181 1015
Website: www.nicma.org

ChildcareLink
A Government service that provides information and advice on childcare.
Tel: 0800 096 0296
Website: www.childcarelink.gov.uk
This doesn't include Northern Ireland - try your local health and social services trusts instead.

Your local authority - look in your local phone book.

Your health visitor or doctor - talk to your health visitor or the nurse at your GP surgery.

Other parents - nothing beats a personal recommendation; ask other parents if they know of a good local childminder.

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