How to become a registered childminder

Registered childminders are childcare professionals who work in their own homes caring for other people’s children for more than two hours in any one day. We have a team of dedicated childcare development officers in each local area who provide support to newly-registered and established Ofsted childminders and those wishing to register with Ofsted.

To contact us, please email earlyyears@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk stating the town you live in.

You will need to familiarise yourself with the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework for childminders as this sets out the legal requirements.

For those wishing to register with a childminder agency, please contact them directly (view list of agencies on GOV.UK).

You will need to register with Ofsted (link opens in new window) before you can look after children under the age of 8 years. To be a childminder, you need to be at least 18.

We currently offer information sessions for those considering childminding as a career. Sessions are informal, free of charge and aim to provide you with enough information to help you decide if childminding is the career for you.

Download childminder information pack (PDF 274.8KB)