Until recently, anyone wanting to become a childminder could get £400 of start-up funding from investment body Invest NI. However, the organisation has now stopped this cash stream and it is not clear whether a replacement will be created.
The Northern Ireland Childminding Association (NICMA) has slammed the decision. Bridget Nodder, director of NICMA, said: "Many new childminders were making use of this grant in the absence of any specific start-up help for our sector."
A spokesman for Invest NI said the money was not a "material factor" in decisions to start up businesses.
NICMA, which is currently undergoing a restructure, has called on the Northern Ireland Executive to fund a start-up package for childminders similar to grants available in England and Wales.
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