Ofsted Figures Show Ongoing Drop in Registered Providers

Childminder and toddler smiling, playing with coloured toy rings

Ofsted Figures Show Ongoing Drop in Registered Providers

Between March 2021 and March 2022, the number of childcare providers registered with English regulator Ofsted dropped by approximately 4,000. This shift represents the largest annual decrease since 2015. In common with previous years, the majority of the drop is accounted for by Childminders, and although the number of places available has remained the same at a national level, there does appear to be significant regional disparity.

The overall numbers of childminders have been declining steadily for approximately a decade, driven by multiple factors. Amongst these, even the expanded access to childcare through the funded hours schemes plays a role, as those who would previously have taken up childminding in order to look after their own children and work, can now more easily find childcare and work in another sector. The government has indicated it wants to see change and is going to make it easier to become a childminder, however the details of how it will do so have yet to be revealed.

Ofsted’s figures do indicate that the number of childcare places has not changed much, suggesting that while individual providers are leaving the sector faster than they are joining, other settings are increasing their overall size. However, Ofsted have also provided a demographic analysis which demonstrates that the largest falls are taking place in regions of high economic deprivation. Analysis by the Early Years Alliance has also confirmed that these areas are more likely to have fewer childcare places. If the government is going to act, this is a problem that will need to be addressed with some urgency.

Ofsted’s latest report can be found here: https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/fall-in-more-than-4-000-childcare-providers-in-a-year