Written by Issy Mintz, Policy and Campaigns Officer, Coram PACEY. 

Celebrating Childminding Week 2026 with childminders in Hertfordshire

Ellyse, our Membership Marketing Manager, and Issy, our Policy and Campaigns Officer, celebrated Childminding Week 2026 by seeing the #magicofchildminding first-hand, connecting with childminders in their local community. Here, Issy reflects on the time they spent with childminders in Hertfordshire. 

During Childminding Week 2026, Coram PACEY joined a REACHout network meeting in Hertfordshire, a small group of childminders who meet regularly with a focus on Continuing Professional Development (CPD). The sessions are organised by childminders Sonia and Clare, who are passionate about introducing sustainable resources to enrich children’s play and sharing good practice amongst their peers.  

This visit was supported by Charlotte at Hertfordshire County Council who attended with us and shared insights into what they are doing to support childminders in groups like these to thrive. 

We were struck by how this group came together in a session filled with shared good practice, laughter and peer-support and how they encouraged each other and the children around them to play and explore. 

Sustainable play 

Childminders, Clare and Sonia and their group of local childminders meet regularly as part of a REACHout network. They have been running as a group for over 30 years and have recently expanded to run their own childminder toddler group and monthly CPD sessions. They told us that they intend to welcome in new childminders and childminders who live outside of the immediate area. Some members of the group have moved away from the area but still travel to attend the sessions because they feel such a strong sense of community. 

The church hall was filled with activities which prioritise sustainability rather than single use items. This included areas of play with sensory tiles, play with foam blocks that supported physical development and play that resembled gardening and fancy dress to encourage role play and creativity.

It was great to see children who attend childminding settings make new friends easily and play collaboratively with children from different ages. Such as the older children who eagerly played with the babies in the group and helped them to get involved. Childminders again were quick to respond to the needs of the children in their care, encouraging children to explore freely and make new friends whilst also being there to hold a child’s hand, reassure their safety and encourage confident play. 

Building strong communities 

It was clear that this is a tight-knit group of childminders as they spoke to us about each other’s strengths as early years professionals, and how they all benefit from having childminders who have been in the business for a long time in their group. One childminder has kept high-quality resources that were given to her during a pre-inspection visit years ago, they continue to share the resources and toys amongst the group. 

The group knew how everyone took their coffee and tea and felt like true co-workers and friends. One childminder told us that when she had a problem with her car, others in the group offered to come and support her – this showed how even outside of the childminding sessions they were there for one another. 

Local knowledge 

The childminders we spoke to had so much pride for their local area – telling us about the unique and affordable ways to introduce children to diverse cultures in the local community and experience exploratory play. Such as at the local Hare Krishna temple where the children were able to watch a wedding take place! The childminders told us how they share these ideas with families and open their eyes to the exciting experiences children can have locally. 

We also explored how the next generation of childminders could be supported through mentorship, community support and suggestions of free and outdoor activities in the local areas. The REACHout network events are a great way to start! 

Visiting childminders in their local community was a perfect way to celebrate Childminding Week 2026. It was invaluable to meet childminders, share the magic of the role, listen to their concerns and see children to play, explore and meet new local friends in a warm and welcoming environment. It was truly magical.