Government urged to tackle barriers for childminders over free childcare plans

In its response to a Department for Education consultation on extending free childcare from 15 to 30 hours a week, the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (Pacey) is warning that low fees will deter many childminders from offering more hours under the expanded free entitlement.

The government’s view that childminder agencies will be able to adequately support childminders to offer more hours is also overly optimistic, says Pacey chief executive Liz Bayram.

She said: “While it is good to see government placing such a strong emphasis on the contribution childminding can make to delivering this priority, Pacey has used the consultation to again raise concerns about how government’s current approach isn’t enough to address the key issues facing childminders.”

“Pacey is concerned the early implementation phase has placed too much reliance on the handful of childminder agencies that exist, despite continued concerns around the agency approach.”

Two years after the agencies were introduced, “childminder agencies command limited interest”, Pacey’s response states. Latest government data shows just seven agencies had been established by 31 December 2015.

Pacey is calling on the government to tackle “barriers” to childminders getting more involved in delivering the extended free entitlement. It highlights how the current free childcare payment system “is clearly designed with non-domestic settings in mind” as it has different rates for both two-year-olds and three- to four-year-olds, whereas most childminders charge a flat rate for all under-fives.

Another barrier is the current ban on childminders being able to claim the free entitlement for their own children or family members in their care.

“One of the single biggest motivations for becoming a childminder is the ability to work whilst simultaneously staying at home and caring for one’s own children,” says Pacey, which also points out that the same ban does not apply to those running nurseries.

The government has already encountered problems encouraging early years settings to take part in piloting the 30 hours of free childcare. Nurseries in York, one of eight pilot areas, had decided to pull out due to funding concerns but changed their minds after the government offered more money.

Latest Ofsted figures showed the number of childminders has fallen by 10,000 over the last four years.