Fee hikes blamed for drop in minders

16 September 2008 1 min read Early Years

The National Childminding Association (NCMA) has attributed this year's collapse in childminder numbers to rises in Ofsted fees.

Last month, the children's services watchdog revealed an 11 per cent drop in the number of registered childminders.

But while some have blamed the fall on the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, which came into force this month, the NCMA's chief executive Liz Bayram said this was not the sole cause.

Instead, she said the drop was also the result of constantly fluctuating figures and a planned increase in childminder registration fees.

In February, the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) consultation, Future Approach to Fees and Subsidies, proposed an increase in registration fees for childminders by 400 per cent over the next three years.

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