How to become a childminder in England
Short answer: register with Ofsted (£35 for the Early Years Register, then £35 a year) or a childminder agency. You need to be 18 or over, have a paediatric first aid certificate and safeguarding training, an enhanced DBS check for you and every adult in your home, and a GP-signed health declaration. You can then look after up to 6 children under 8, with no more than 3 young children. The government start-up grant has closed, but some councils run their own.
Updated 4 November 2026, checked against Ofsted’s registration policies and fees (22 October 2026) and the EYFS childminder framework in force from 1 September 2026. For England. A guide, not legal or financial advice.
The 9 steps
- Check you can. You must be 18 or over and have the right to work in the UK. If you rent, check your tenancy or ask your landlord: Ofsted won’t check, but expects you to comply.
- Choose where you’ll work. At home (you can also spend some of your time on other premises such as a church hall), or outside the home only. Either way, up to 4 people including you can work at once.
- Choose Ofsted or a childminder agency. Both can register you. An agency may offer training and help finding families, and sets its own fees.
- Do your training. A paediatric first aid course (a full course, renewed every 3 years) and safeguarding training that meets the EYFS, since you’ll be your own designated safeguarding lead. Many councils run pre-registration courses.
- Get your checks. A home-based enhanced DBS check with barred lists for you, and a DBS check for everyone aged 16 or over who lives or works in your home. Plus a health declaration signed by you and your GP.
- Get your home ready. Safe, suitable rooms inside and out, a fire plan and working smoke alarms, a first aid box, and no banned dog breeds on the premises at any time. Ofsted tours the whole house, including rooms you won’t use for childminding.
- Apply and pay. Apply online to join the Early Years Register. The fee is £35, and joining the Childcare Register at the same time costs nothing extra.
- The registration visit. Once all checks are complete, an inspector visits to check your ID and documents, tour your home, and test your understanding of the EYFS, safeguarding, safer eating and safer sleep.
- Set up the business. Register as self-employed with HMRC, get public liability insurance, write your contract and fees, and sign your council’s provider agreement if you want to offer funded hours.
Which registration?
| Type | Where | People at once |
|---|---|---|
| Childminder based at home | Your home or someone else’s, plus some time on other premises if Ofsted approves them | Up to 4, including you |
| Childminder based outside the home | Non-domestic premises only, such as a hall, school, office or outdoor area | Up to 4, including you |
| Childcare on domestic premises | Mostly or always in a home | 5 or more |
Assistants, apprentices, students and volunteers all count in the 4. More than 4 at once means registering as childcare on domestic premises, or opening a nursery: see how to open a nursery.
Costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Ofsted, Early Years Register (or both registers) | £35 to apply, then £35 a year |
| Ofsted, Childcare Register only (children 8 and over) | £103 |
| Paediatric first aid (full course) | Set by the training provider |
| DBS checks for you and adults in your home | Set by the DBS and the application service |
| Health declaration | Your GP’s fee, if they charge |
| Public liability insurance | Required, from your insurer |
Ofsted fees aren’t refunded if you withdraw. A childminder agency charges its own fees instead of Ofsted’s.
Start-up grants in 2026
The government’s childminder start-up grant ran from 30 November 2023 to 31 March 2025 and is now closed. Some councils have started their own, for example:
- West Sussex: £600 for new childminders who register between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2027
- Warwickshire: up to £1,500 for those registered since 1 April 2026, including £300 for offering funded places in the first year
- North Yorkshire: up to £2,000 towards equipment, from 1 August 2026, if you’ll offer funded places
Ask your council’s early years team or Family Information Service. Some only pay if you apply before you register.
How many children
- Up to 6 children under 8, including your own and any you foster (childminder framework 3.50).
- No more than 3 young children, meaning until 31 August after their fifth birthday.
- Normally only 1 child under the age of one. Exceptions are possible, for example for siblings.
- With an assistant, these numbers can rise. See EYFS ratios.
What the registration visit checks
- Your ID, two proofs of address, employment history, and your first aid, training and DBS certificates
- A full tour of your home, inside and outside, including rooms you won’t use
- Your understanding of the EYFS and of safeguarding, including concerns about other adults
- Your understanding of safer eating and safer sleep
- Your driving licence, insurance and MOT if you’ll drive children
After you register
- Training: renew safeguarding training every 2 years and paediatric first aid every 3 years.
- Changes: tell Ofsted when anyone in your home turns 16, someone moves in, or your hours or premises change.
- Policies: you don’t need them in writing, but you must have them and explain them. See the EYFS policies list.
- First inspection within 18 months. See preparing for inspection.
- Funded hours: see early years funding 2026 to 2027.
Getting families to find you
Most parents search online before they ring anyone. A simple website with your vacancies, fees, funded hours, atap-to-call phone number and your Ofsted report does more than a Facebook page alone. Seewebsites for childminders.
Questions
How much does it cost to become a childminder?
The Ofsted fee to join the Early Years Register is £35, then £35 a year. On top come a paediatric first aid course, safeguarding training, DBS checks for you and any adults in your home, your GP’s fee for the health declaration, and insurance. A childminder agency sets its own fees instead.
Is there a childminder start-up grant in 2026?
Not from the government. DfE’s start-up grant, £600 through Ofsted or £1,200 through an agency, ran from 30 November 2023 to 31 March 2025 and is closed. Some councils now run their own: for example West Sussex offers £600 to new childminders registering by 31 March 2027, Warwickshire up to £1,500, and North Yorkshire up to £2,000 for equipment. Ask your council’s early years team.
How many children can a childminder look after?
Up to six children under 8, including your own. Of those, no more than three can be young children (until 31 August after their fifth birthday), and normally only one under the age of one. There are exceptions, for example for siblings.
Do I need qualifications to be a childminder?
You don’t need a childcare qualification. You do need a current paediatric first aid certificate to register, safeguarding training that meets the EYFS, and to show Ofsted you understand the EYFS requirements.
Can a childminder work outside their home?
Yes. If you’re registered at home you can apply, using Ofsted’s EYA form and at no extra cost, to spend some of your time on non-domestic premises such as a church hall. Or you can register as a childminder based outside the home and work only from non-domestic premises.
When is a childminder first inspected?
Within 18 months of registering, then within each 4-year window. Ofsted now uses report cards rather than Outstanding or Good.
Do childminders need written policies?
No, if you’re registered only on the Early Years Register or with an early years agency. You must still have policies, follow them and explain them to parents and inspectors, share an attendance policy with parents, and keep a record of complaints.
Sources
- Childminders based at home: Ofsted registration policy, Ofsted, 22 October 2026
- Childminders based outside the home: Ofsted registration policy, Ofsted, 22 October 2026
- Registration fees for childminders, nannies and other childcare providers, Ofsted, 22 October 2026
- Childcare providers: who needs a DBS check and health declaration form, GOV.UK
- EYFS framework for childminders, dated 13 July 2026
- Apply for a childminder start-up grant (withdrawn), DfE
- Council grant schemes from West Sussex, Warwickshire and North Yorkshire councils’ websites, checked 4 November 2026
More guides: all our guides for nurseries, childminders and schools.
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