Crisis Planner: Liz Bayram, chief executive, National Childminding Association

Nearly 8,000 childminders left the profession in the 19 months to December 2008 - a fall of 11 per cent.

Many have blamed the drop on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), which came into force last September. The new curriculum for under-fives has been criticised for being target-driven and too focused on paperwork instead of play.

But Liz Bayram, chief executive of the National Childminding Association (NCMA), is reluctant to lay the blame solely at the door of the curriculum. "The drop in figures is clearly mirroring a drop in group settings, such as nurseries," she says. "So while we can see the EYFS is having an impact on some childminders, the current climate must also be considered."

Bayram's stance comes as no surprise. She has long been a supporter of the EYFS, believing it will put childminders on a level playing field with other providers as they will all be offering the same high-quality service. "Sadly, in many instances some parents and providers still think of childminders as babysitters who are not doing the same thing as early years settings," she laments.

EYFS worries

But the recent decline in numbers cannot be brushed under the carpet, and Bayram admits the EYFS did play its part. "A number of childminders left because they were worried about the EYFS," she says. "That is a shame because we are encouraging everyone to give it a chance."

As testament to those childminders who have remained, Bayram refers to recent NCMA research showing that those who have embraced the EYFS are generally getting positive inspection reports from Ofsted.

She attributes any remaining negativity towards the curriculum to poorly planned training in some local authorities, and a lack of information and support. But overall she approves of the way local authorities are delivering training, some of which is assisted by NCMA.

The other key factor behind a lack of confidence in the EYFS was the prospect of continual self-evaluation and assessments.

Bayram says the NCMA is "talking to members and gathering evidence, which will be used to ask Ofsted to improve guidance". But she believes most childminders worry too much about the paperwork. "The most important message is that childminders should feel confident that what they are already doing is delivering the EYFS."

The recession

Behind all these concerns about practice lurks the recession and its potential impact on childminders. Bayram says: "In the past, the beginning of a recession has seen the number of childminders drop, but as it continues these numbers start to grow," she says.

According to NCMA feedback, the current climate is creating a mixed picture for childminders, similar to that across all childcare services. Some are losing clients who can no longer afford childcare, while others benefit from parents being forced back to work to pay the bills.

This year, NCMA will be helping local authorities develop support for childminders to ride the downturn. Offering guidance and training to help sustain their businesses, the association will also help childminders offer more diverse services, such as care for teenage parents or parents with disabled children.

What's more, Bayram believes numbers could get a big boost in the coming year as NCMA improves the model of its regional networks, which childminders must be registered with to offer the free childcare entitlement to parents.

"Our goal is to have all authorities investing in networks. Childminding has an important role to play in enabling local authorities to meet their legal duty to secure sufficient childcare," she says.

"Childminders can be flexible and add an hour or two here or there in response to parents' needs. Flexibility is childminding's greatest strength for the future."

KEY ISSUES: LIZ BAYRAM'S VIEWS ON ...

The drop in childminder numbers "We don't have the funds for in-depth research, but from what we know the two main factors are the Early Years Foundation Stage and the current economic climate."

The Early Years Foundation Stage "On a local level, childminders are saying that a lot of companies are producing toolkits for the EYFS, creating the myth that a lot of detailed evidence is required, and making money out if it.

"Childminders do not need this stuff. We have been talking to registered childminders who have been through the EYFS inspection process and the vast majority of them have reported a positive experience."