Childminder Sustainability in England and Wales

Evidence to date has shown a steady decline in childminder numbers in England and Wales over the last 20 years. The loss of childminders and the childcare and early years (CC&EY) places that they offer is in contrast to other parts of the sector and the expansion of CC&EY policy initiatives. The loss in childminders poses a threat to the statutory responsibility placed on Local Authorities to secure sufficient CC&EY services for children and their families, while leading to the demise of a unique CC&EY service. Funded by PACEY, researchers from Plymouth Institute of Education undertook an analysis of childminding provision in England and Wales.

The research entailed:
- an analysis of existing literature and data on childminding
- a survey of childminders, local authorities and other relevant stakeholders exploring the perceived reasons for the decline in childminders
- a series of case studies of local authority areas to offer a detailed analysis of the core themes arising from the survey