For childcare inspiration, Kate could look closer to home

For years, she has used her influence to shine a spotlight on early years education, drawing national attention to the role the first few years of a child’s life play in everything that follows. It has made her one of the early years sector’s greatest allies. And now her visit to Italy this week, the first stop on an international tour of world-leading early years settings, sees her taking that work global.

But I can’t help but think that if it’s best practice inspiration we’re after, we ought to look closer to home. And I mean that literally. For decades, childminders on thousands of streets across England have opened their front doors to offer children small, nurturing, home‑from‑home environments that mirror, and could even rival, many of the approaches that will be celebrated on this tour.

From emotional regulation to cognitive development, research consistently tells us how much these home-based settings support children’s development. In fact, children cared for in home environments experience some of the smoothest transitions into primary school - something that should be front of mind for parents, educators, and policymakers alike, given plummeting school readiness rates.

We have exceptional talent and a home-grown, high-quality childcare model right on our doorstep. But we’ve let provider numbers decline to the brink of extinction.

Thirty years ago, childminding was the largest form of childcare provision in England, with more than 100,000 people offering outstanding early years education from their own homes. But since that peak, Ofsted has steadily been haemorrhaging its childminders, with just 25,000 remaining today. At the current rate of decline, forecasts suggest there may be none left within a few short years.

To lose this profession would be to lose one of our country’s greatest assets. Even when we look at the global picture, home-based childcare comes out on top as the world’s most dominant care model. It’s preferred by many families who want flexible, home-from-home environments that the more rigid nursery model simply can’t deliver.

Any efforts to raise the profile of early years education globally must reflect that reality. And policymakers in the UK have to confront the fact that they’ve dropped the ball on protecting and promoting this sought-after care here at home.

Other countries have shown what’s possible when the right investments are made. In France, for example, the assistante maternelle model - their childminding equivalent - boosts well over 200,000 practitioners and is supported by national infrastructure. Given our similar economies and demographics, there's no reason we can't reach the same levels here.

After all, England is already a world-leader in early years learning. The Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework (something all registered early‑years educators must follow) has become a great British export. It’s a powerful reminder that while childcare availability may be a pressing issue here, quality is not. We have some of the best practitioners following one of the strongest early years curriculums anywhere. We just don’t have enough of them, particularly childminders.

The irony is there’s no shortage of people who want to join the childminding profession.

Research from the Childminding2030 campaign shows that a large number of people across the country would consider training as a childminder. And why wouldn’t they? It's an incredible chance to shape a child’s future and reap the benefits of self-employment. These small business owners - most of whom are women - earn an average of £40,000 (twice a nursery worker's salary) whilst doing meaningful work that fits around family life.

Yet misperceptions, policy loopholes and avoidable barriers mean that interest isn’t converting into registration. Too many are being put off before they even begin, and even more are leaving Ofsted due to funding challenges, administrative burdens, and a lack of recognition.

Childminding Agencies, on the other hand, which offer more hands-on support than Ofsted can, are actively pulling in new childminders each year and represent the only corner of the childcare market experiencing growth. If we want to boost provider numbers, we need to back pathways like these which are actually proven to work.

There’s no doubt the global conversation the Princess of Wales has kicked off in Italy this week is a wonderful thing. But for too long, idle talk from policymakers here at home has allowed our best childcare model to wither. Restoring childminder numbers must be a national priority if we are to give children the best start in life and reclaim our place as a global leader in early years provision.

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Brett Wigdortz OBE is CEO of tiney, Founder of Teach First, and spokesperson for the Childminding2030 campaign.

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