Childminders key to 30 hours

According to Department for Education figures, only one per cent of three- and four-year-olds who are taking up a free early education place do so with a childminder. Our annual Building Blocks research of 2,000 early years practitioners shows this is mainly because many childminders view the low funding rate as a barrier.

However, a third of childminders surveyed for Building Blocks said they would like to offer funded hours, with another third willing to consider it so long as it was sustainable. With support, advice and encouragement from their council many could fill vacant places through funded hours.

DfE figures suggest an extra 90,000 places will be needed when 30 hours is introduced for all three- and four-year-olds in England from September. Childminding is part of the solution. With 91 per cent of childminders now rated as "good" and "outstanding", they are ideally placed to help grow the capacity needed to support more families to access their funded hours. But we need to act now.

The next few months will be critical for the sector, as providers firm up their response to 30 hours and eligible parents decide where they will take up their entitlement.

Local authorities need to ensure childminding is fully integrated into their early education offer so that families are offered a choice between group and home-based options. They can also promote partnerships between childminders and local pre-schools, schools, and nurseries.

Alongside this, authorities need to address the concerns voiced by many childminders who are sceptical that delivering funded hours will be sustainable for their small business.

Fee levels are a big concern, but in some local authorities they already match the market rate for childminders; other areas aren't too far off, so childminders (just like other providers) need support to understand what additional charges are allowed; how a local authority's proposed supplements may work; and what this may all mean for their business sustainability.

There are many other issues that, if addressed, could persuade more childminders to deliver funded hours. We have heard concerns from childminders that councils will demand too much paperwork of providers delivering funded places, or that they will have to wait months for local authorities to make payments. By tackling these issues, local authorities will be able to engage more childminders, either as a sole provider or in partnership with others.

Some local authorities are already doing this (see case studies). It's time all local authorities considered how they can champion childminding.

Liz Bayram is chief executive of Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (Pacey)

CASE STUDY 1: BUSINESS SUPPORT IN SOUTHEND

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council has for a number of years encouraged the area's childminders to get involved in delivering the free entitlements for two-, three- and four-year-olds. Two thirds of Southend childminders have already signed up to deliver the extended entitlement, and the authority is working hard to encourage more to do so, says Elaine Hammans, group early years manager at the council.

A range of initiatives have been used to engage childminders in delivering 30 hours, including offering dedicated briefing sessions, recruitment events and consultation over fee levels. However, much of the support has been focused on helping childminders with business advice. Business planning workshops and information evenings have been held, while a toolkit and guidance on providing 30 hours has been developed, says Hammans.

Over the summer, it will offer further support on issues such as admissions policies, invoicing and expanding provision, while continuing to promote childminding to parents eligible for 30 hours.

"We are very proud of our childminding workforce and have just achieved 100 per cent reaching good or outstanding Ofsted judgments," she adds.

CASE STUDY 2: JOINING UP PROVISION IN YORK

York City Council was one of eight areas to take part in a DfE trial of 30 hours launched last September.

Childminders have played a key role in the early implementation pilot, helping to supplement provision offered by the city's nurseries. Two thirds of the city's childminders were offering 30 hours in the spring term, with 1,568 children accessing their entitlement across 220 providers of all types.

Barbara Mands, head of childcare strategy at City of York Council, says childminders have a played a "significant role" in the policy's success in York - it has reached 500 more children than its target. She says: "Our data shows that childminders are joining up with local schools or academies, day nurseries, playgroups, independent schools as well as other childminders, so that parents can take all their hours and have the flexibility they need to meet their working patterns.

"During the spring term, 169 of eligible children (10 per cent) took up places with either a single childminder or a childminder working in partnership with another type of provider.

We engaged childminders by inviting them to regular informal events, creating social media networks and consulting with them on funding rates."