As we start to wind down before the festive break, I would like to take the time to reflect back on what has been an important year for Coram PACEY.
In January, we kicked off the year by launching our #removetherule campaign in England. Whilst we have long been campaigning to allow childminders to claim entitlement funding for related children, this campaign kick-started a renewed and more ambitious approach – working with our members to gather evidence and data and share case studies to apply increased pressure on the Government in England. This campaign has continued to build momentum, particularly since the introduction of our #removetherule visual petition and recent national news coverage. We know the significant impact that this rule has on childminding businesses and we are hopeful that 2026 will bring positive change.
In May, we announced that PACEY had transferred into the Coram Group maintaining all existing services under our new name, Coram PACEY. We are already seeing the positive impact of being part of a larger organisation, benefiting from its strong policy influence and well-established local connections. As we move toward 2026, we are determined to continue raising the bar in our work, and campaigning efforts.
This year, we celebrated another successful Childminding Week (10-16 May) focused on celebrating childminders and the important work they do. Using the theme #UnsungChildcareHeroes we engaged with partners, stakeholders and parliamentarians to build a sense of community and recognise the pivotal role of childminders in the sector.
Amongst many events and activities during Childminding Week, we announced the winners of our Regional childminder awards to recognise and celebrate the very best in the profession. We received so many fantastic entries, highlighting exceptional childminders who go above and beyond to support children, their families and local communities. We were blown away by the level of commitment, passion and knowledge. The regional winners were automatically entered into the Childminder of the Year award with the overall winner, Sam Goldsworthy being announced last week. Congratulations, Sam!
We hosted Childminding Week forums for local authority colleagues in both England and Wales to discuss childminder recruitment and retention. This was our first event of this kind in England, bringing together over 140 colleagues focussed solely on childminding support. Given the vital impact that local authority support can have on childminders locally, we are stepping up our work with local authorities in 2026. In Wales the sessions held were extremely supportive with local authority staff from 19 out of the 22 local authorities in Wales attending. Discussions included local authority strategies for supporting recruitment and retention of childminders, how value of childminders can be supported and barriers for childminders locally and nationally.
In October we said goodbye to Helen Donohoe, the former Head of Coram PACEY who was instrumental in leading our move into the Coram Group to ensure we could continue to provide vital support and services to home-based childcare professionals for years to come. I am privileged to take over from Helen at such an important time for our community, and I am excited to move into 2026 with a strong programme of initiatives and campaigns planned – working closely with our members, childminders and the wider childcare sector to engage on the issues that matter most.
During October, Coram PACEY Cymru launched our Manifesto for Childminders in Wales in advance of the May 2026 Senedd elections. Coram PACEY Cymru call for urgent government action to address the drastically continuing decline in childminder numbers in Wales, outlining a series of policy recommendations to support the sector.
There was so much more that happened this year in the early years, childcare and childminding sector. You can see some of the highlights in our end of year round up below.
2026 marks a new chapter and we will continue campaigning on behalf of home-based childcare professionals, with a renewed determination, focused on reversing the decline in childminders as our core mission. While there are pressing matters that we are acting on now – such as the emerging and pressing issue of childminder expenses through Making Tax Digital – we are also driving longer-term reforms to help secure a sustainable and thriving childminder market for years to come.
I hope everyone enjoys a peaceful festive break with family, friends and loved ones.
Best wishes,
Ka Lai Brightley-Hodges
Head of Coram PACEY
A look back at the year
