Childminders and Childminder Agencies
Childminders and Childminder Agencies in Hampshire
In Hampshire there is a range of Ofsted registered individual childminders (and those that employ assistants) providing childcare and early years education.
Childminders
- are Ofsted registered carers who look after children in their own homes
- offer a flexible service, caring for children aged from birth to sixteen years
- are usually only allowed to look after up to six children between the ages birth to eight (including their own)
- can have more children if they work in partnership with other childminders or assistants
- the service offered is unique to each family’s needs and many childminders provide evening, weekend and school holiday care.
Childminder agencies
- are organisations designed to offer a ‘one-stop shop’ of services for both childminders and parents
- are registered and inspected by Ofsted. The CMA will register and quality assure childminders who join their agency
- will offer parents a range of services to support them in finding a childminder and offer some additional services, such as cover, when a childminder is sick or on holiday.
Further information about registering as a childminder agency can be found on the Government's website.