How to become a childminder in England: the step-by-step route

Answer first: To become a childminder in England you must register with Ofsted (or a childminder agency) before you are paid to care for children under eight for more than two hours a day in your own home. Registration needs a paediatric first aid certificate, EYFS-based childminder training, enhanced DBS checks for you and everyone aged 16+ in your household, a health declaration and a home safety check. You do not legally need a Level 3 childcare qualification - but holding one lets you count in ratios like a nursery practitioner, charge more confidently and progress later.

Below is the full sequence, what each step costs in time, and where a qualification such as the Level 3 Early Years Educator diploma fits.

Who needs to register as a childminder?

You must register if you will look after one or more children under the age of eight, for reward, for more than two hours a day, on domestic premises that are not the child's own home. Caring for a child in their home makes you a nanny, not a childminder, and registration is voluntary.

Three situations do not require registration: caring only for close relatives; caring for the children of no more than two families as a favour with no payment; or working solely between 6pm and 2am (the "babysitting" exemption). Everything else - including a paid arrangement with a friend - needs Ofsted registration.

This guide covers England. Wales registers childminders through Care Inspectorate Wales, Scotland through the Care Inspectorate, and Northern Ireland through local Health and Social Care Trusts; the training expectations are similar but the forms and fees differ.

Step 1 - Choose your register: Ofsted or a childminder agency

Both routes lead to the same legal status and the same EYFS statutory framework obligations. Agencies charge a monthly or annual fee. The Department for Education's childminder start-up grant scheme previously paid £600 for Ofsted registration and £1,200 via a childminder agency; that scheme ran until 31 March 2025 and is now closed, so new applicants cannot claim it. See the gov.uk childminder start-up grant page for the closure notice.

Step 2 - Complete childminder (EYFS) training

Before Ofsted will register you on the Early Years Register you must have completed training that helps you understand and implement the EYFS. In practice this means an introductory childminding course - offered by local authorities, childminder agencies and national training providers - covering the EYFS learning and development requirements, the safeguarding and welfare requirements, observation and assessment, and running a childminding business.

This introductory course is not the same as a Level 2 or Level 3 childcare qualification. It is the minimum. If you already hold a full-and-relevant early years qualification (see Step 6) you still need to show you understand the EYFS, but many providers will accept your qualification evidence plus a shorter EYFS update.

Step 3 - Paediatric first aid (PFA)

You must hold a full paediatric first aid certificate - a 12-hour course meeting the EYFS Annex A criteria - before registration, and renew it every three years. Emergency PFA (6 hours) is not enough for the registered childminder; it is the assistant-level qualification. Budget roughly £100 - £200 for a face-to-face or blended course; wholly online PFA does not meet the requirement because the practical elements must be assessed in person.

Step 4 - DBS checks for your whole household

You need an enhanced DBS check with barred-list checks for yourself, and enhanced checks for every person aged 16 or over who lives or works on the premises - partners, adult children, lodgers, regular helpers. Everyone should then join the DBS Update Service (£16 a year per person at the time of writing) so Ofsted can re-check status without a new application.

DBS checks for childminders are requested through Ofsted's nominated provider, not privately, so start this early: it is the step that most often delays registration. Our DBS and safeguarding guide for childcare learners explains what an enhanced check covers and how disclosures are handled.

Step 5 - Health declaration, references and the home check

Ofsted's application includes a health declaration booklet (your GP completes and charges for it - usually £50 - £100), two references, and details of your qualifications and everyone in the household. Once your application is complete, an Ofsted inspector visits to:

• interview you on how you will meet the EYFS safeguarding and welfare requirements;
• check your premises - safe outdoor space, kitchen and bathroom hygiene, hazard controls, smoke alarms, secure storage of medicines and cleaning products;
• confirm your paperwork: risk assessments, policies, accident and medication records, insurance (public liability is mandatory).

You cannot begin caring for children until your registration certificate arrives.

Step 6 - Do you need a Level 3 childcare qualification?

Legally, no. Practically, the case for one is strong:

The standard Level 3 route is the Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Educator, which sits on the DfE's early years qualifications list and gives full and relevant status under the EYFS. An Ofqual-regulated TQUK version can be studied online with a placement - and your own childminding setting can often provide the placement hours once you are registered. To compare it with Level 2 and Level 5 options, see our early years qualifications compared guide, or browse all childcare qualifications online.

How many children can a childminder look after?

The EYFS sets childminder ratios per adult:

Exceptions exist for siblings and for continuity of care, provided you can show you meet each child's needs. If you work with a registered assistant, ratios can be doubled provided each adult meets the relevant requirements. Always confirm against the current EYFS statutory framework for childminders.

What do childminders earn?

Childminders are self-employed, so income depends on hours, location and how many places you fill. Typical hourly rates are around £5 - £8 per child per hour outside London and £7 - £12 in London and the South East. A childminder with three funded under-fives at 40 hours a week can gross roughly £30,000 - £45,000 a year before expenses; part-time or after-school-only patterns are proportionally less. Government-funded hours (15/30 hours and the expanded entitlement for working parents) are paid via your local authority at its published rate.

How long does it take?

Sources

• Ofsted: Childminders and childcare providers: register with Ofsted (gov.uk)
• Department for Education: Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework for childminders (gov.uk)
• Department for Education: Childminder start-up grants (gov.uk)
• Department for Education: Early years qualifications list (gov.uk)
• Disclosure and Barring Service: DBS Update Service (gov.uk)