Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will review the rules on Ofsted-registered childminders claiming government-funded early education and childcare hours for children to whom they are related, where care is provided outside the child’s home; and if she will adopt the same approach as in Wales.

Parents are free to choose the childcare that is right for them and their children. However, the restriction on funding relatives is set out in the Childcare Act (2006). Section 18(4) of this Act specifically excludes care provided for a child by a parent or other relative. This approach avoids creating an incentive for adults to register to become childminders and be paid to look after related children that they are already looking after on an informal basis.

​A local authority can choose to fund a childminder providing childcare for a related child, but this would have to be from the local authority’s funds independent of the dedicated schools grant.

​Flexibilities within staff to child ratios can be used to enable childminders who are caring for related children, to avoid limiting the income they can earn. We currently have no plans to change this long-standing position.