if soneone was thinking about a career as a childminder...

[helsi]

where would they start?

what is the training?
how much are courses?

etc
etc

Contact your local Children's Information Service and they would be able to send out information about registering & your local briefing sessions. The basic training is a 12 hour course called Introduction to Childminding Practice (which can be followed up by 2 further longer courses later on if you wish),in some areas this is done slightly differently but everywhere has to do an introductory course of some sort, a paedeatric first aid course (again 12 hours long) & recommended Child Protection Training.
There is usually funding to cover all or part of the training & initial set up costs, e.g. the National Childinding Association Quality Start package. Also in a lot of areas you would be offered the chance of having an experienced Support Minder (or buddy) for the first 6 months to a year of you being a childminder.