Over the year to March 2008, numbers dropped by more than 5,000, and the situation could deteriorate further as the implementation of the Early Years Foundation Stage approaches.
Childminders, many working alone and with little support, have had to take on an awful lot of late. The transfer of inspection and regulation to Ofsted drove some away. Now, however, they are faced with a huge increase in registration fees as well as the EYFS, with its demands for adherence and for assessment and recording of children. This could mean many extra hours of work after the children have left for the day. For some, coping with the demands of the EYFS was not what they came into childminding for.
The childminders we spoke to about this crisis did not want to be named for fear that it would rebound on them - if you are working alone, it is not easy to speak out.
This response to the EYFS is not universal by any means. Some childminders welcome the increasing professionalism of the sector - they are studying for degrees, being validated as Early Years Professionals, seeing the EYFS framework as an opportunity. And that is fantastic.
However, it was apparent at our EYFS conference in London that the local authority training for childminders has been problematic on both sides in some areas. Childminders will need a lot of the right support to stop their numbers dwindling.
