Children's minister Beverley Hughes revealed figures from the 2008 EarlyYears Census in response to a question from shadow children's ministerMaria Miller.
The census names 73 authorities offering the free entitlement forthree- and four-year-olds through childminding networks.
Childminders are unable to offer it if they do not belong to anaccredited childminding network.
One 'outstanding' childminder, who did not wish to be named, toldNursery World she left her accredited network because she lives in arural area and it was too far away.
She said, 'There are 200 childminders in my authority and only five havefinished the accreditation process. Some parents have been advised bythe authority to take their children from a childminder to nursery forthe free entitlement. The authority also said it would be more of anappropriate place.'
A Bristol City Council spokesman said, 'Children are currently not ableto take up this place with a childminder, as there are no approvednetworks in the city.'
Alison Ruddock, head of the early years service at Islington council inLondon, said, 'There are sufficient places in Islington's nurserysettings to ensure the delivery of the free entitlement to all children.So we have not targeted childminders, not because it's a bad option butbecause it is an unnecessary one.'
But Marion Pearson, director of operations at the National ChildmindingAssociation, said that 'well over half' of all councils in England andWales had at least one NCMA accredited network which is adapted todeliver the free entitlement.
