Today (25 March), Coram PACEY has launched a campaign inviting parents across England and Wales to discover the #MagicofChildminding. The campaign celebrates the unique, nurturing home‑from‑home care that childminders offer to children and families and highlights the unique benefits that make childminding magical for children and families, including:
- Invaluable time: Childminders can focus on each child and provide consistent care.
- Personalised care: Small settings offer tailored support and help children feel secure, valued and supported.
- Affordability and flexibility: Many childminders offer early starts and late finishes, holiday provision and ad-hoc and emergency care.
- Continuity and relationships: Mixed age groups allow siblings to be cared for together and young children to learn from older peers.
- Real-world learning: Flexible routines enable outings, outdoor play and spontaneous, experience-led learning.
- Strong foundations: A curriculum rich in maths, literacy, physical development and creativity.
- Great relationships: An ability to respect and accommodate different parenting styles to support families.
What parents say about childminding
Parents across England and Wales who has shared their experience as part of the campaign, describe the deep, long-lasting impact childminders have on their children with one parent noting that their daughter has had “wonderful opportunities to explore the local community, enjoy regular outings, and learn alongside children of different ages, which has really helped her confidence and development. It feels much more like an extended family than childcare, and knowing she is so happy, safe, and nurtured every day is invaluable to us. Our son will also be joining … later this year, and we feel completely confident about him starting a little younger than we might otherwise have considered.”
Another parent of a child with additional learning needs said: “We initially felt very nervous about leaving our child with Additional Learning Needs (ALN) due to his complex needs and difficulty in expressing himself, but we were quickly put at ease by [our childminder’s] competence with children with ALN and the brilliant support we received from her. Our child has benefited enormously from being at [our childminders] setting. He is part of the family there, whilst his unique needs are met, he is treated with the same care, joy and confidence as any other child. I often have difficulty using the word ‘inclusive’ as many places/spaces which say this often aren’t. However I can truly say that the childminder setting meant our child could truly fit in and feel part of the local community.”
The smaller and intimate environment of a childminders setting helps children feel safe, secure and settled. Parents often appreciate that childminders “are at the centre of every family who choose to use them. They provide home-from-home care for children, as well as helping to educate them for the duration of time the children are with them.”
One parent particularly valued the life-long impact that childminders can have on a child, support them through their childhood. “We love the smaller, more personal environment. Our child isn’t just one of many, they’re truly known and understood. The bond they’ve built is so special, and it gives us so much reassurance every day. The flexibility, the calm atmosphere, and the mix of real-life experiences like beach trips, forest walks, getting muddy and creative play, it just feels like a more natural childhood.”
Ka Lai Brightley-Hodges, Head of Coram PACEY comments:
“Our campaign celebrates the everyday magical moments that help children learn, grow and flourish in home-based childcare settings. As parents, we know that choosing childcare can feel like a big and daunting step. “Childminders offer something truly unique – small, nurturing settings where children can settle and form strong bonds with the person caring for them. Many families describe their childminder as an extension of their own family.
“We hope our Magic of Childminding campaign celebrates these unique strengths, and shows how much potential there is for childminding to play an even bigger role in supporting families in the future with the right support from Government.
Bridget Phillipson, Education Secretary comments:
“Childminders are at the heart of our early years system, providing high quality, flexible care where children can thrive from their earliest days. Their support is invaluable, especially for children with SEND and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
We’re committed to giving every child the best start in life, and that means backing every part of our early years workforce. I congratulate Coram PACEY on launching the Magic of Childminding campaign and welcome the spotlight it shines on the extraordinary dedication of childminders across England.”
Rachel Grocott, CEO Pregnant then Screwed comments:
“As a mum, I have personal experience of just how magical childminders really are. Christmas parties, soft play trips, arts and crafts, baking, library outings, rhyme times, walks and meet-ups with other childminders and children – all wonderful things experienced by my son with our childminder, who very much became an extension of our family. The flexibility of care that she provided also enabled me to return to work in a way that genuinely worked for me and my family – with care ranging from just a few hours per week, up to my son spending time with our childminder again in school holidays after he had started school.
As CEO of Pregnant Then Screwed, I know that childminders are a vital part of so many families’ journeys – providing flexible, high quality, transformative care that parents rely on and really trust. We’re pleased to support Coram Pacey’s campaign for the unique benefits of childminders to be recognised and celebrated.”
What childminders themselves say
“The pressures of modern parenting are intense, I have felt it myself as I made the choice to raise my girls while my husband worked. I am thankful that childminding suited my skills and was a natural choice for me because becoming a childminder meant I didn’t have to choose between being present for my children in their formative years, and work, much of which would have gone towards childcare anyway because I do not have access to a childcare ‘village’.” Terri, a childminder for almost five years.
“The magic of childminding is knowing the children inside out, having those smaller ratios, having children potentially several days a week. Most of them come to me as babies and whilst they leave to go to school they never really leave. Often, they’re back for holidays or wraparound. Knowing the children, knowing their families, knowing the dynamic is invaluable.” Catherine, childminder for over nine years.
“As is the case for all children, children with special education needs create their own magic and leave us with some special memories – how happy shaving foam snow made a little boy or the joy on a little one’s face when he was able to climb the ladder up to the top of the playhouse (we have to allow children with ALN to take risks, the same as any other child). This magic might be a shared interaction, a fleeting smile, the way the other children shout “come on dude” when they are all playing a game and making sure everyone is included.” Llinos, childminder for over 20 years.
Spotlight on magical childminders and new case studies
For this campaign, Coram PACEY visited four settings to spotlight some incredible childminders. The campaign also includes interviews with seven childminders for new case studies on the positive impact of childminders in areas such as SEND, family support, caring for babies and many more. These childminders have shared the magic of their settings and show families the benefits of choosing a childminder and how childminding settings enrich the lives of families and children. Each setting was different from the other, but they all had at least one thing in common – they all love and support the children they care for.
How to get involved
1) Download the digital social images below and share on your social pages using the hashtag #magicofchildminding
2) Reach out to your local authority, ask if they have seen the campaign and what they are doing to support it and the childminders in your area.
3) Reflect on your own amazing practice and your impact on the children you care for. We want to hear from you and use your examples in our ‘Magic of Childminding’ report (see here).
