Ofsted data shows that the number of childminders leaving the profession annually in England has been declining for several years, and that the number of people registering to become a childminder has declined significantly.
PACEY said that while there are many reasons why people are leaving childminding – lack of professional status, low incomes, too much paperwork – there was very little evidence on trends in childminder recruitment.
Over the summer, and as the first stage of the inquiry, PACEY will be working with researchers at the University of Plymouth to run a national survey targeting childminders past, present and future.
PACEY said that if the decline in England continues at the current rate- a total loss of two-thirds of registered childminders since 2012 - there could be no childminders left by 2034, drastically reducing the choice available to families.
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