The number of Ofsted-registered childminders in England fell by 1,000 between 31 August 2024 and 31 August 2025, new Ofsted statistics have revealed.
According to the Childcare providers and inspections as at 31 August 2025 dataset, the number of childminders registered with Ofsted fell from 26,000 to 25,000 over the 12-month period. As a result, despite an increase in the number of non-domestic settings, the number of early years settings fell by 1,270 (2%) during this period.
However, despite the decline in childminder numbers, the total number of places offered by providers registered on the Early Years Register (EYR) rose by 17,700 (1%) between 31 August 2024 and 31 August 2025, with much of this increase due to a rise in the number of places offered by non-domestic providers
The statistics also confirmed that 98% of early years providers were judged as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ at their most recent inspection, an increase of less than 1 percentage point since 31 August 2024.
Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, commented: “It is incredibly concerning to see such a sharp and continued decline in the number of childminders.
“We know that a mixed and varied early years sector is key to ensuring families are able to find care and education that best suits their children’s needs, and that childminding professionals are a vital source of high-quality, flexible, home-based early years provision – yet it remains unclear how the government plans to tackle this ongoing, worrying trend.
“If ministers are to have any chance of delivering the affordable, accessible provision families need, it simply must address the reasons that childminders are continuing to leave the sector in such high numbers. This means tackling inadequate funding rates, reviewing unfair rules around claiming funding for related children, and ensuring that childminders are viewed and treated as education professionals.
“As these statistics show, inaction is simply not an option.”
