Registered childminders can look after up to six children (including their own) under the age of eight for more than a total of two hours per day.
They do this in their own home for payment (they are self-employed) and are regulated by Ofsted.
To apply to be a registered childminder you must:
- have the right to work in the UK
- be over 18
- be allowed to work with children (you - and anyone else in your home over 16 - will need an enhanced DBS, also known as a criminal record check)
- complete a health declaration booklet with your doctor confirming you are physically and emotionally capable for caring for children
- have a good level of written and spoken English
There are different ways to register as a childminder. You can either:
- register directly with Ofsted as a childminder based at home or a childminder based outside the home (known as a ‘childminder without domestic premises’) or
- register with a childminder agency by contacting them directly.
We run a childminder pre-registration course which covers:
- early years foundation stage
- safeguarding level one
- paediatric first aid