Latest Ofsted data shows that in the three months up to December 2015, the number of childminders fell by two per cent, continuing a trend that has seen a drop of more than 10,000 since 2012 (see graphic).
The factors behind the decline are complex, explains Liz Bayram, chief executive of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.
One factor is how much the regulatory framework has changed over the past 10 years. “It has become more demanding, with a perception that it requires lots of paperwork and writing,” says Bayram, before adding that in reality it does not.
“Ofsted does not expect reams of paper to prove outcomes, but often it is perceived as that is what is needed.”
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