Where are all the childminders?

[hollyberrytree]

The last childminder in my village is closing down at the end of term. When my children went to her, they were 4 to pick from and it’s a pretty small village
She was telling me that child minder numbers have halved. And I couldn’t quite believe it so I googled!
60,000 childminders in 2009. In 2018 there were 36,500 childminders in England. By 2025 there were 22300. What’s even more concerning is the age profile. 80% of childminders are now aged 40 or over, and 47% are over 50.
She said her job has become increasingly difficult. The paperwork, inspections, regulations, responsibility. She was told off by Ofsted for allowing another toddler go into the room where she was changing a nappy. Talking about 2 children under 2 years old.

I’ve often thought you’re either a parent that likes the idea of a nursery or one that prefers childminders.
Childminders provide something that nurseries often can’t: small, home-based care, flexibility for parents, continuity of care and mixed-age family environments and wrap around care for school age. It suited my family.

I think these figures should concern anyone who values having genuine choice in childcare. All childcare workers in nurseries and childminders are the unsung heros.

As an ex CM, probably because

*Ofsted
*funding levels lower than hourly charge making it not financially viable
*health visitors stating as fact “your child needs to go to nursery”
*a general feeling if being the lowest of the low amd not being respected
*space in home
*parents expectations/entitled behaviour
*judgement from parents who think they know how you “should” be behaving

Oh also cheaper wrap around in schools taking away a lot from childminders

Yes, massive lack of childminders offering wraparound for school aged children also in lots of areas. Its a real problem, given lots of schools no longer have wraparound care either.

But, its a very unappealing job. I wouldn't do it, and certainly not for those wages.

I childminded for 15 years, started when my son was 1, intended to stop when he started school but carried on. 2 further children later so I carried on. It all became way way to much, to much paperwork, to much proving what you've done each day, toddler group/soft play/park/libary/music groups/ BTvdays our/swimming etc, lunch then a bit of tv to wind down and me to get some lunch, tidy up etc were seen as not acceptable according to my last and final inspection. My parents were all fabulous, multiple children from same families over 15 years but the simple running costs of ofsted finally broke me

It’s the free hours. It’s poorly funded, think £4.50 an hour when your own rate is £6.50. 😡Absolutely insulting. You are not supposed to charge a top up fee but you have to find some way round it.

It’s also an administrative nightmare, complicated, excessively time consuming too. I stopped taking under 5 children because of it.

OFSTED then brought in a new rule saying we had to tell them about anything in our personal lives that might affect care of the children. So judging by the experiences here, you tell them they shut you down, then if you don’t tell them they shut you down when they find out.

Not surprising people left. I was then working in nurseries but shocked by the lack of discipline (just ‘oh dear ‘ and ‘no thank you’ when kids are misbehaving.)
I was told off when changing a three year old child’s nappy for suggesting they could pull up their own trousers and encouraging independence. I was told I had to do all aspects of the nappy changes.

Its small wonder so many aren’t school ready. 🤷‍♀️

Perhaps this is due to the need for experience, so many hoops to go through which need commitment and motivation and also not the most aspirational career for young people when the possibility of becoming a SM star os at tje forefront of goals.

My gorgeous CM started when her dc were small, she offered a beautiful home from home experience and the dc loved her.
She got more and more fed up over the years of Ofsted dropping in unexpectedly, the paperwork, the increasingly complex "free" hours when parents then thought they didn't have to pay for top ups or extras so she was working for pennies, and increasingly demanding parents who picked up late / didn't pay on time.
I was devastated when she closed, but would have done the same in her position.

I can’t think of any other sector where if numbers were halved there wouldn’t be outrage

I'm in Wales so never had Ofsted to contend with but when I looked at potentially returning to childminding recently, I couldn't make the numbers work. By the time I'd accounted for all the costs, paying into a pension and being able to have some time off, it was minimum wage based off 3 full time kids.

I couldn't justify it now my kids are grown. It is a shame that the numbers have become so low in England. I don't know what they're like here. It is a unique childcare setting and a huge shame if it's not something people can choose for their kids any more.

I mean, can you blame them? There are threads on here pretty much every day from people bitching and moaning about their childminders.

I can’t understand why people favour CM over a nursery

Nurseries arw more reliable, they have stricter regulations and better facilities

more space; more staff.

if your childminder is sick, they can’t care for your child

if child minder goes on holiday, they close down

Childminding is how relatively poor people get by. There is more profit for the government from an actual business, like a nursery.

I LOVE CMs - we are lucky in that there is a lot of high quality ones in our area.
My children go to museums playgroups forest schools, and take weekly trips to zoo and membership toddler theme park type places. They can have a slow day if they feel poorly and have one key "grown up" who cares for them.
I have never had issues with sickness n fact they are way more accommodating than most nurseries.
In contrast I found the "quality of person" at many local nurseries lacking so i think ots horses for courses.

I agree the reason the CMs are older is the housing aspect and the reason its reducing is bureaucracy and paperwork.

I saw a younger CMs and the "facilities" situation was WEIRD. She was living in a house with her 3 brothers who were coming and going all day and they were also renovating the house!?! So there was bare plaster fridges in living rooms etc 🫠🫠 but how is a 30 yr old going to have a spacious well maintianed 4 bed in london?!?!?

I took the concern with CMs being older is to do with the fact they'd be retiring soon.
My old cm kept going until 70! She is AMAZING and has a wonderful home (worth north of 800k) shed have stopped ages ago but had to keep working as she got divorced and has nothing but basic state pension...she babysits from time to time for us still.

Women’s work - not a priority to those in power.

I agree with this. I had to use a nursery over a childminder as had no back up if the childminder was sick/off. A lady near me has recently started advertising her childminder services, but only Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday during term time which is useless to most people working full time.
Also do childminders take children from 9 months? When I looked most were from 2 years, again no good for those going back to work.

But these are pros for you and that's fine. Some of the things tou jave listed will be negatives for them and you haven't listed the positives of a cm.

And the point is choice! Of people prefer a nursery, great, use one and i hope you have lots nearby to choose one that suits your child.

Many prefer a cm and its a shame that option is becoming rare.

I meet plenty of parents who would never use a nursery.

Cms take babies from whatever age, I don't know a single one that starts at 2yo!

It’s a pity they’re closing down. Some women I met at my local Weightwatchers groups about 3 of them were all local childminders, kids grown up and gone travelling or living at home but all in their own houses. Luckily some were not far off retirement (10 years away) but it’s a shame if for bureaucracy’s sake they have to stop doing what they like and are good at.

My DB and his wife have 2 kids, 2.5 and just turned 8. Youngest in nursery, oldest they’d use a childminder or family for eg in holidays when no holiday club available or if he doesn’t want to do all holiday clubs. The eldest really likes the one childminder they use and if nursery is shut for a day (like recently) she will take the youngest too.

Even 30 years ago, I got a call out of the blue from my health visitor about a childminder I was about to use. She advised me not to but wouldnt say why! So, I visited the childminder to give her the option to discuss it with me in confidence. All she would say was it wasnt true but she wouldnt be explaining it to me - she would understand if I cancelled the arrangement. So I did - what else could I have done?

So with her gone and a job to restart in 3 days time, a friend came around for a few weeks while I found another. There wasnt much choice and our town had no nurseries.

She minded both of mine and soon after stopped because the ofsted framework came in. She was also a registered foster carer so she changed to home children through that service instead.

Insurance and proper care is important but its gone too far and that just backfires.

I was at my childminder when my mum went back to work - I was 3 months old!

I briefly considered setting up as CM as a way to make bit of cash whilst avoiding going back to work outside the home when DC were small.

Now, so many more women just see it as normal that they will have to or want to go back to their old jobs, plus the ability for so many more to wfh, so there isn't the pool of mums wanting this kind of work. See also recruiting for school TAs. 15 years ago you got hundrends of applications now hardly anything suitable for most adverts.

Sadly, Ofsted and the law of unintended consequences.

I wanted a childminder for mine as nurseries just seemed to business like, too formal. I was happy to cover the inconvenience of the occasional day off for the childminder
But if I was looking for childcare today then that choice isn’t there for me.
It’s a different way of life. I want my children safe but I don’t need the formality of a nursery. I wanted them to feel like they were going to an aunty.
Although looking at the ages of minders now it will be a granny!
How sad that we are losing this choice.

Yes that was normal when my 30 year old were babes. Back at 14 weeks with my daughter an 12 with my son. I was self employed, albeit in professional practice.

In some ways I wish it had been longer but I would still have had to complete courses and theres a sort of keeping up to date by osmosis you get - so returning early had that advantage. I also think I would have found leaving my two harder at 12 months than ai did at 3.