Registered childminders and approved childcarers
Information and support
Registered childminders look after one or more children under the age of eight for more than a total of two hours a day on domestic premises (other than the child's own home) for reward. 'Domestic premises' normally means the childminder's own home. 'Reward' can be money or payment in kind.
Childminders need to be registered and inspected by the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) to demonstrate the quality and standards of their care. Ofsted ensures that every childminder meets the requirements laid down in the national standards for under eights daycare and childminding such as:
- ensuring they're suitable to be with children
- checking that they provide a safe, stimulating and caring environment, giving children opportunities for learning and play
- making sure they work in partnership with parents and carers
In addition, in order to become registered, a childminder must undertake Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and health checks, have a regular inspection of their home and take an introductory childminding course and first aid training.
Registered childminders can only look after a certain number of children at any one time, which allows them to focus more on each child. Many registered childminders provide flexible childcare including early in the morning, late in the evening, overnight and at weekends. Additionally childminders can provide continuity of care and stability, often looking after children from babyhood through to school age.
Nannies are ideal for parents with disabled children and those working
unusual hours. Until very recently carers providing care in the child's
home (nannies) and childminders looking solely after children over the age of
seven were approved under the Childcare Approval Scheme (CAS) providing they
met the basic criteria. For further details of the CAS see 
www.childcareapprovalscheme.co.uk
[External Site]
.
However, from 1 October 2007, the CAS no longer accepts applications and existing approvals will expire one year after they were originally issued. Childcare providers working in the child's home or childminders caring for children over seven can now apply to join the voluntary part of the Ofsted Childcare Register (vOCR) which was launched in April 2007.
To make an application to register on the vOCR or for more information about
the register please contact Ofsted. The Department for Children, Schools and
Families (DCSF) has issued a useful leaflet on the vOCR which can be downloaded
from www.teachernet.gov.uk/publications
[External Site]
using the ref:
00997-2007BKT-EN.
If you use a registered childminder or approved home childcarer you may be eligible to draw down the childcare element of the working tax credit. Parents can receive help up to 80 per cent of their eligible childcare costs. Contact Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for more details.
To find a registered childminder you can use a new and improved search tool for finding and researching schools, childcare and nurseries. The new service - which now also provides Ofsted reports, maps and achievement tables - will soon be fully available on ParentsCentre. In the meantime, you can find it on the Parents section of Directgov. As this is an external website, the link below will open in a new window which you will need to close to return to ParentsCentre.
Search for schools, childcare and
nurseries
[External Site]
For further information contact:
Sure Start Unit
Website: www.surestart.gov.uk
[External Site]Phone: 0870 000 22 88
National Childminding Association (NCMA)
Website: www.ncma.org.uk
[External Site]
Information line: 0845 880 0044
Email: info@ncma.org.uk
Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
(Ofsted)
Website:
www.ofsted.gov.uk
[External Site]
Phone: 08456 404040
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
Website: www.hmrc.gov.uk
[External Site]
Phone: 0845 300 3900
Tax Credits: 0845 300 3909
