The statistics released by Ofsted this week show that there were 61,929 childminders registered with the watchdog in December 2008, which is 1,671 fewer than in August 2008.
Andrew Fletcher, director of communications at the National Childminding Association, blamed the current economic climate for the fall in numbers. He urged local authorities to support childminders in their delivery of the new Early Years Foundation Stage as this may also be causing numbers to drop.
"NCMA is monitoring trends to ensure that registered childminders are supported to remain sustainable for the long-term and speaking to its members to establish what help they need," he said.
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