In England, childminders are not permitted to deliver funded early education and childcare places to children who are related to them.

At PACEY, we are campaigning to end this unfair policy, especially in light of recent success in Wales. Thanks to effective lobbying from PACEY Cymru, childminders in Wales are now able to access the Childcare offer for non-resident related children.

We raised the issue with the minister responsible for childcare, Nadhim Zahawi MP, when we met with him in January. Unfortunately, recent correspondence from the minister has confirmed that he is unwilling to change the policy at this time. He has made it clear that the Government’s views on the related children ban have not changed, and that “provision from a relative, even if they are a registered provider, is not defined as childcare”.

PACEY strongly disagrees, and we will not give up until this policy is changed. We are calling once again for the Government to harmonise the criteria for using childcare provided by relatives, so that parents in England can use related childminders for the early education and childcare entitlements, just as they can for Tax-Free Childcare and the childcare element of Working Tax Credit/Universal Credit, as long as the childminder is registered with Ofsted and the care is being provided outside the child’s home.  ​

You can support our campaign by contacting your local MP using our template letter, using #letsmakeithappen on social media, or by sharing your story so we can continue to illustrate to policy-makers how the ban is negatively affecting childminders and families.