Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Spring Budget 2023, if she will publish the labour market modelling which underpinned the decision to (a) pilot incentive payments to childminders signing up to the profession and (b) double incentive payments for childminders joining the profession though an agency.

The department recognises that registering as a childminder can be costly, and the start-up grants will help new childminders to cover their expenses. The grant values take into account the likely costs of registering, which include undertaking training in paediatric first aid and applying for Disclosure and Barring checks.

Childminders can choose to register with Ofsted or a childminder agency (CMA). The department is providing a higher grant to childminders registering with a CMA in recognition of the higher fees they charge. This is because Ofsted fees are subsidised by the government, and also because CMAs offer additional support and services to their childminders that Ofsted does not provide. For example, CMAs can support providers through registration and look after invoicing and other paperwork, and they have ready-made professional networks that they support and promote to providers. They are also required to provide at least 20 hours of practice development a year to their early years childminders although they can offer more than that. Our grant allocations reflect this fee difference, offering prospective childminders the flexibility to choose the pathway into the sector that best suits their needs.