The number of registered childminders in England has dropped by more than 4,000 in the past year and by 8,400, or 11.5 per cent, in the past four years. Moreover, according to the inspectorate, the level of good childminding has fallen while the level of inadequate childminding has risen, bucking improvements in general across other childcare settings (see p4).
This is a major cause for concern. Local authorities' childcare sufficiency assessments consistently highlight a demand for flexible childcare that meets the needs of modern families. This means childcare before 8am, after 6pm, overnight and at weekends. Childminders are the best-placed providers of such childcare, so what are the reasons behind the blip in childminding and how can we ensure it doesn't herald a longer-term decline?
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