Childminding Week 2025

PACEY
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Childminding Week 2025

This year, we celebrated Childminding Week 10 to 16 May 2025.

The theme for 2025 was ‘Unsung Childcare Heroes’

In what has become an annual Coram PACEY celebration week, we used #ChildmindingWeek25 to raise awareness of childminders, celebrate the incredible work they do, build a sense of community and involve more sector stakeholders.

Thank you to everyone who got involved, attended an event, helped spread the word and supported the week. It was our best Childminding Week to date and we can wait to start planning the next one!

Unsung Childcare Heroes

We’re used the theme #UnsungChildcareHeroes to highlight that childminders are not always acknowledged for their pivotal role in the childcare and early years sector.

Childminders support children, families and communities in unique ways

Childminders support disadvantaged children and are often best placed to provide care and education for children with SEND / ALN

Childminders provide good quality childcare and education to ALL

Yet, they are not given the respect, praise or recognition they deserve.

Coram PACEY is on a mission to change all that and Childminding Week was just the start!

Highlights

On Monday 12 May, we held an MP roundtable at the House of Commons ‘Childminding: An Endangered Profession – How can government reverse the decline?

Chaired by Maya Ellis MP with speakers including Helen Donohoe (Coram PACEY) Catherine McLeod (Dingleys Promise) and Lauren Fabianski (Early Education and Childcare Coalition)

Minister for Early Education Stephen Morgan was also in attendance and we spoke about the barriers for those looking to join the childminder profession, quick wins to retain a skilled and passionate workforce such as removing the rule that prevents childminders from claiming funded hours for related children and review of current funding. We spoke about the vital role childminders play to the lives of children with SEND and the catastrophic repercussion to children, families and the sector should childminder numbers continue to decline at this rate.

On Tuesday 13 May, Coram PACEY and Childcare Works held a webinar for local authority representatives in England to discuss how they support recruitment and retention of the childminder workforce. The link between local authorities and childminders in the community is vital in supporting and stabilising childminder numbers.

We were joined by representatives from four local authorities: Barnsley, Cornwall, Cambridge and Norfolk to discuss what’s working in their area and what challenges remain, and an opportunity for the audience to ask questions.

We were delighted to welcome over 140 local authority representatives – making it our biggest ever local authority event focussing on childminders! We also welcomed some childminders to the session to hear the discussion. We hope the audience took away some ideas and insight into how they can support childminders in their area.

Read about it here.

On Tuesday 13 May, we announced the winners of our Regional childminder awards as part of Childminding Week 2025

In April 2025 we launched our annual Regional childminder awards to recognise and celebrate the very best childminders. Those who make a difference to the lives of the children they care for, who set the bar high and are an inspiration to all in the profession.

We had so many fantastic entries, some truly incredible 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 shown.

All winners will be automatically entered into the Childminder of the Year awards being held at our conference in Autumn 25.

Find out about the winners.

On Wednesday 14 May, some of our members and staff were invited to the Education Garden Party at Buckingham Palace with the honour of representing Coram PACEY and Childminders around England and Wales.

On Thursday 15 May, in celebration of childminding week we held an evening of treasured conversation and inspirational stories.

Laura Henry-Allain, Lucy Lewin and Cheryl Warren talk about how their childhoods inspired lifelong careers in the early years and paved the way for them to discover different specialisms.

We guarantee you’ll be inspired to celebrate your own superpowers!

Watch back the webinar for FREE.

Finally, we said ‘Thank you’.

From everyone at Coram PACEY and the rest of the childcare and early years sector, we want to say thank you for the incredible work that you do. The passion, commitment, and compassion that you show day in day out. Thank you for the skills, knowledge and professionalism you bring to the sector. And thank you for all the children, families and communities that you support.