Childminder of the Year

The winners of Coram PACEY’s Regional Childminder awards announced during childminding week in May have been automatically shortlisted for the Childminder of the Year award 2026.

This category celebrates the highest calibre of childminders across all areas of their practice and business including their pedagogy style, meeting the needs of children in their care, safeguarding practices and areas of development and growth.

This category is closed for entries.

Entrees will be celebrated and winners announced Friday 4 December 2026 at the Coram Campus, London. Book your free place here.

Childminding Assistant of the Year

Childminding assistants are the rising stars of the sector and potentially the next generation of skilled and passionate childminders.

The Childminding Assistant of the Year award aims to find that special someone who has formed close bonds, gone above and beyond to improve education and care for the children in their setting and has dedicated time to develop their own skills and knowledge.

This award is open to both members and non-members. Childminders may nominate their assistants/ apprentices on their behalf.

Entrees will be celebrated and winners announced Friday 4 December 2026 at the Coram Campus, London. Book your free place here.

Wraparound Business of the Year

Childcare providers have pivoted and adapted to meets the needs of children and the sector, this is evident no more so than in the increase of wraparound care businesses and their different models.

We want to find the most dynamic wraparound childcare businesses that supports children, families, schools and communities to ensure that children are properly cared for all year round.

This award is open to both members and non-members. Only nominees can enter themselves. Entrants can provide all types of wraparound care providers including childminders, activity clubs and summer clubs. 

Entrees will be celebrated and winners announced Friday 4 December 2026 at the Coram Campus, London. Book your free place here.

Nanny of the Year

Nannies are dedicated childcare professionals who work in family homes, can be employed by a parent or self-employed. Nannies often have sole charge of a family’s children and can also work for two families at once as part of a nanny-share arrangement.

Being a nanny can be such a rewarding job. Nannies form close bonds with the children they care for, looking after their daily needs and early education in the family home. We are looking for the very best that the nanny profession has to offer and help raise the profile of nannies within the sector.

This award is open to both members and non-members. Only nominees can enter themselves.

Entrees will be celebrated and winners announced Friday 4 December 2026 at the Coram Campus, London. Book your free place here.

Community Hero Award

Our members do so much for the families they work with and their communities. From fundraising for important causes and putting on events to bring communities together to mentoring fellow childminders and working with local authorities to support where they can. Their commitment to their communities is inspiring and we wanted to acknowledge this and celebrate out loud.

This award is open exclusively to Coram PACEY members. Only nominees can enter themselves.

Entrees will be celebrated and winners announced Friday 4 December 2026 at the Coram Campus, London. Book your free place here.

Longevity Award

There are so many dedicated and loyal childminders that have been caring for many generations of children. Their hard work over the years is a credit to their resilience and passion. We want to celebrate childminders who have stuck with it, through all the challenges they have faced during their careers and changes in the sector and to the profession over time.

This award is open exclusively to Coram PACEY members. Only nominees can enter themselves.

Entrees will be celebrated and winners announced Friday 4 December 2026 at the Coram Campus, London. Book your free place here.

Early Years Eco Leader Award

Home-based childcare professionals play a key role in helping the whole of the early years sector to reduce its impact on the environment and plan for future sustainability. From connecting young children to nature and instilling in them foundational values, to changing the way their setting operates and reducing their carbon footprint- there are some fantastic professionals and settings doing incredible work.

This award is open exclusively to Coram PACEY members. Only nominees can enter themselves.

Entrees will be celebrated and winners announced Friday 4 December 2026 at the Coram Campus, London. Book your free place here.

Men in Home-based Childcare Award

In a home-based setting, male professionals can have a significant positive impact on the children they care for and the families they support. They promote positive relationships and can be an important model in a child’s life, yet they are often undervalued for the role they play and the impact that they have. This award aims to encourage male professionals to step forward and showcase the quality of their work and relationships, those who are leading and inspiring the next generation of male practitioners.

This award is open to both members and non-members. Home-based childcare professionals may nominate male professionals that they work alongside.

Entrees will be celebrated and winners announced Friday 4 December 2026 at the Coram Campus, London. Book your free place here.

Innovation Award

New to 2026, the Innovation Award aims to recognise home-based settings that are pushing the boundaries of what home-based childcare normally looks like and is recognised for. They will be settings that look to other sectors and working environments to bring something new to their practice or embrace new technologies to expand their offer. For these providers, areas including pedagogy, social media or even family support can be transformational when research, experimenting and a desire to try something different collide.

This award is open to both members and non-members. Only nominees can enter themselves.

Entrees will be celebrated and winners announced Friday 4 December 2026 at the Coram Campus, London. Book your free place here.

Best Start for All Award

Inclusive practice is essential to ensuring all children from all communities can have access to quality childcare and education. Coram PACEY’s Best Start for All award aims to recognise the home-based settings that identify and work to remove barriers to learning for the children in their setting and continuously think about those who are not. This can be children with SEND / ALN or those from disadvantage backgrounds, but it also about understanding all of the children in their care and their different ways of learning to provide the best possible support. This award celebrates those who are doing exceptional things to ensure inclusivity for all.

This award is open exclusively to Coram PACEY members. Only nominees can enter themselves.

Entrees will be celebrated and winners announced Friday 4 December 2026 at the Coram Campus, London. Book your free place here.