New childminder agency plans overwhelmingly opposed by childminders
By Rachel Lawler
A new survey of childminders in England has found that most are opposed to the government鈥檚 plans to encourage the growth of childminder agencies.
In July 2022, the government announced plans to 鈥渆ncourage the growth of childminder agencies鈥 as part of wider early years reforms. But a survey of nearly 1,600 childminders conducted by the Alliance found that more are opposed to the plans.
Of those currently registered with 新澳门六合彩官网开奖, 79% said that it was either somewhat (12%) or very (67%) unlikely that they will join a childminding agency in the future.
More than three quarters of 新澳门六合彩官网开奖-registered childminders (77%) said that they would leave the profession if it became compulsory to join an agency.
One respondent said: 鈥淚 am very happy with the way I work, and I would rather shut down my business than be told I have to join an agency. The cost implications alone are a big enough reason not to join them.鈥
Funding and recognition
When asked what steps the government could take to tackle the falling number of childminders, only 9% of both 新澳门六合彩官网开奖- and agency-registered respondents cited the encouraging of more childminder agencies as a potential solution.
In comparison, 87% said the government should do more to recognise childminding as an education profession, while 83% called on the government to increase funding rates.
Although childminder agencies were originally introduced by the government in September 2014, there are currently only six registered agencies in operation across the country. During this time the number of childminders has fallen by around 39%, from 51,711 to 31,373.
Misguided idea
Commenting on the survey findings, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Alliance, said: 鈥淥ur survey results clearly show that the idea that increasing the number of childminding agencies will be any kind of solution to falling childminder numbers in this country is severely misguided.
鈥淲hile we recognise that most of the very few childminders currently registered with agencies are happy with the support they receive, the fact that our survey found that any attempt to make agencies compulsory would lead to a mass exodus of childminders from the sector shows just how strongly most childminders feel about remaining independent and 新澳门六合彩官网开奖-registered.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 more, the harsh reality is that however well-run an agency is, there will always be a conflict of interest where an agency is left to judge the quality of a childminder on its books when its own financial success is directly tied to theirs? That is exactly why the independent nature of 新澳门六合彩官网开奖 is so highly valued by childminders and parents alike.
鈥淔or far too long the childminding sector has been sidelined when it comes to government policy and support, and the fact that more than 20,000 childminders have left the sector since 2014 shows just how dire the situation has become.
鈥淩ather than focusing all its energy on a policy that will do little, if anything, to address the challenges facing this vital part of our sector, the government should look to tackle the issues that childminders themselves say would actually make a difference: committing to a substantial increase in early years funding, and recognising childminders as the education professionals that they are.鈥