The reform, which would have placed a greater focus on how children are improving at homes and brought in a tougher grading system, will not now come into force until April 2015.
Ofsted decided against launching the new inspection framework this year amid concerns that it would have to be redrafted in April 2015, when new quality standards and regulations for children's homes come into force.
In explaining its decision Ofsted said that introducing two major changes to its inspection frameworks in "quick succession" would be "inefficient".
A statement from the inspectorate adds that an April 2014 launch would potentially "have made less difference to the lives of children and young people because of the energy being used in and by the system to accommodate too much change over a short period."
An April 2014 launch would also have come just six months after last November's launch of a single inspection framework for services covering child protection, looked-after children, care leavers, fostering and adoption services.
Victoria Hull, head of policy, projects and participation at The Who Cares? Trust, said: “We hope the extra time will result in robust criteria that put the experiences of children and young people first.”?
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