And there are now just under 3,000 fewer registered childminders than at the end of March last year.
Ofsted's figures on ‘Registered childcare providers and places’, show that as of 31 March 2014 there were 51,789 childminders, down from 53,938 at 30 September 2013, a loss of 2,149 childminders in six months. This is the equivalent of a four per cent loss.
This compares with a fall of 840 childminders in the six months before (31 March-30 September 2013).
The latest statistics displaying movement in the childcare sector reveal that 4,968 childminders left the profession, while 2,819 joined.
The decline in childminders also had a knock-on effect on the number of childcare places available. On 30 September 2013 childminders were able to provide 273,813 places compared to 265,366 places in March 2014, a fall of 8,447 places.
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