The latest quarterly figures from the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills show that the number of childminders leaving the profession has more than doubled since the last quarter. The figures detailed in the report show the number of registered childminders up to 31 August 2008, the day before the Early Years Foundation Stage was introduced.
Andrew Fletcher, director of communications at the National Childminding Association, said that the new curriculum was one obvious reason for the decline, but there were a number of other factors to consider.
"There's competition from early years settings in key areas and, as childminders become more qualified, some of them make choices about whether to move into other areas of the sector," he said.
However, Fletcher denied that childminding was less rewarding, in terms of pay and personal development, than other early years roles.
