A training audit completed by the Northern Ireland Childminding Association found that only 30 per cent of its members took part in any formal training.
Just 17 per cent of childminders accessed pre-registration training, and 13.4 per cent took part in first aid training.
Association director Bridget Nodda said the organisation would use the statistics to lobby government and funders to support the development of a regional training strategy.
Nodda also said it would set a target of an increase of between five and 10 per cent of childminders attaining formal qualifications over the next year.
Childminders were the only form of registered childcare provision with no requirement for training and qualifications, added Barbara Quinn, the association's training manager. "But childminders care for the largest proportion of children for the longest day, care for the widest age range and are working in total isolation," she said.
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