Childminders and related children campaign #removetherule

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Childminders and related children campaign

Coram PACEY is campaigning for childminders to be allowed to deliver funded early education entitlements (FEEE) to children who are related to them. We regularly hear from childminders and families in England affected by this unfair rule, and with funding expanding in September 2025 even more childminders, families and children will be impacted. We highlighted it as a key area for action in our Manifesto for Childminders in 2024.

We strongly believe that the rule in England preventing childminders providing funded places to related children is unjust and we will not stop campaigning until this is finally overturned.

Our childminder and related children briefing explains the issue in full. Download it here.

What is the problem and solution in England?

The definition of ‘childcare’ in the Childcare Act 2006 excludes care provided for a child by parents or any other relatives. In England, the Government has interpreted this to mean that childminders cannot deliver the early years and childcare entitlements to any children related to them by blood or marriage, whom they may already be looking after. 

HOWEVER

Other important forms of childcare support in England do permit parents to use related childminders. This includes Tax-Free Childcare, childcare vouchers, Working Tax Credit and Universal Credit, as long as they are Ofsted-registered and caring for the child outside the child’s home. 

The ban on related children in England is unique to childminders. Individuals working in or owning a nursery, school or pre-school are permitted to claim the entitlement for related children. 

Since 2018 following lobbying from PACEY Cymru, childminders in Wales have been allowed to deliver funded places to relatives who do not live with them, a positive move which was met with celebration from the sector.

Who’s impacted?

Families

Many relatives of registered childminders have been forced to move to new settings to take up their entitlement. The rule removes families’ choice of which setting they’d like to support their child. Funding should follow the child, not the other way round. This not only greatly disrupts continuity of care for all children impacted, but is particularly detrimental if for children with disability or SEND. SEND funding is directly linked to FEEE so childminders are unable to access this support for relatives in their setting.

Childminders

The rule currently affects a large number of childminders, and this issue is growing. It creates a major barrier to engaging more childminders in the delivery of the funded entitlement, particularly with the expansion of funded provision. In a PACEY poll in October 2023, 72% of our childminder members said expanding the funded scheme to cover related children would incentivise them to offer more funded places. In the context of plummeting childminder numbers, the removal of this rule would provide a much-needed morale boost in the sector.

What is the solution?

The Government should allow parents in England to use related registered childminders for their early education and childcare entitlements, as long as the childminder is registered and the care is being provided outside the child’s home.  

Let’s make 2025 the year for childminding!

#removetherule

Write to your MP

Contact your local MP – you can do this in three easy steps:

1. Find out who your local MP is  and their contact information.

2. Download Coram PACEY’s template letter. We have two versions below: one from a childminder and one from a family member/ supporter of our campaign. Use this as a starting point, and feel free to edit this as much as you would like. Don’t forget to explain how the ban has personally affected you / your family. Top tip: why not get the children in your setting involved by decorating the envelope? This will make it stand out in their in-tray and get their attention… And it’s a great way to teach children about political activity and campaigning!

3. Email or post your letter to your local MP and the current Minister for Early Education, Stephen Morgan MP

4. Download our social media graphics below, share and use hashtag #removetherule to help spread the word

Letter to your MP template

(From childminders)

Letter to your MP template

(From families and supporters)

NEW Support our visual petition!

With everyone’s effort the campaign is gaining momentum and we’re seeing more and more support from MPs following pressure from their constituents. We are now moving into phase two of our campaign: a visual petition. This will demonstrate through photographs how many people are in support of a reform to this unfair rule, putting names and faces to the support.

Support the campaign in three simple steps:

Create your #removetherule sign. Why not turn it into a fun activity – get the children involved to help decorate it.
Take a photo with the sign. Make sure you have permission from anyone featured in the photo, in line with your photography policy.
Share it with us! Send your photo via email to policy@corampacey.org.uk OR post it on social media and tag Coram PACEY so we can see it. Please include your first name and local authority in the caption.

Feel free to write your own caption or use this suggested wording: “My name is [insert name] and I’m supporting Coram PACEY’s campaign to #removetherule.”

If you are uploading onto social media, why not tag your local MP at the same time to help spread the word?