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Childcare swaps and Ofsted registration

29 September 2009

The press has been reporting the story of two mothers who were ‘swapping' childcare while each other worked. This has raised a question about whether parents swapping childcare are receiving ‘reward' (ie free childcare in return), and should therefore be registered as childminders.

Daycare Trust does not believe that the regulations in the Childcare Act were intended to cover arrangements where families share the care of their children, taking turns to provide care on different days.  We understand that there are discussions on-going between the Department of Children, Schools and Families and Ofsted.  If these sort of private swaps have been caught inadvertently by the wording of the regulations, we would urge the Government to make amendments to ensure they can continue without Ofsted involvement. 

We know that, like Daycare Trust, the Government supports the principle that parents should be able to choose the childcare that best suits their family situation. We hope that parents are not frightened into abandoning sensible arrangements which suit them.

For more information about Ofsted registration, see www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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