Number of childminders falls by a fifth

The Registered Childcare Providers and Places data for 31 March to 31 August 2019, reveals that the total number of childminders has dropped from 38,953 to 38,472, a loss of nearly 500 childminders.

This continues a downward trend, with 9,500 fewer childminders operating since 31 August 2015.

The latest figures show during the five-month period, 1,994 childminders left the sector, while 1,513 joined. This resulted in a loss of 2,478 childcare places.

The statistics also show that between 31 March and 31 August 2019, a total of 33 nurseries were de-registered from the Early Years Register. During the same period, 985 providers left, while 952 joined.

As of this August, there were 24,134 providers on the Early Years Register.

However, the number of nursery places increased by 11,460.

As of 31 August 2019, there were 1,319,465 registered childcare places across all providers.

Ofsted grades

The statistics also show that 96 per cent of childcare providers on the Early Years Register have been judged good or outstanding.

A higher proportion of nurseries (23 per cent) were judged outstanding compared to childminders (17 per cent).

Sector response

Commenting on the figures, Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said, 'An early years sector without childminders seemed unthinkable a few years ago but that is what these statistics show we are facing.

'Anyone following the childcare funding crisis in recent years will have no problem identifying the culprit. The pressure has been huge, and it’s been particularly hard for those smaller providers who offer fewer places with higher overheads.

'No one thinks this is a sustainable situation, but we are yet to have a serious conversation about it during this election. Instead, each party has been trying to outdo the other with ever more generous offers of "free childcare". That’s not good enough. If we want flexible, high-quality childcare that puts the child’s interests first then we need think about how we get there.

'I always say that childminders are canaries in the coalmine when it comes to the challenges facing the sector and it’s time we looked properly at why so many are leaving. That means addressing properly the early years funding shortfall and thinking carefully about early years policy, rather than carrying on with this apparently never-ending bonanza of ‘free childcare’ in the name of winning votes.'

Liz Bayram, chief executive of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY), said, ‘Every statistical release we read from Ofsted that less and less people are choosing to become childminders, so fewer are replacing the dedicated childminders who leave after many years of service to children and families. This simply cannot continue. We know that it is challenging to register as a childminder in England today and whomever forms the next Government has to take urgent action to save this much needed form of quality, flexible childcare that so many families rely on. 

'The solution is complex, poor levels of Government funding for early education play their part, but as important is the lack of any start-up grant to help cover the significant cost of establishing a childminding setting; the fact childminders operate on small ratios but cannot claim funded early education for related children in their care and – most challenging of all – that parents don’t get advice on what childminding can provide – from Government, from their health visitor and their local authority - so they cannot make informed choices about the childcare that best suits their child. All this leads to childminding being seen as a low paid, little valued form of childcare.’

• The Ofsted statistics are available here