This scheme no longer accepts new applications but anyone approved under it is valid for one year from the date of approval.  Please follow the link below to find out more.

What is the Scheme?

The Childcare Approval Scheme is a new scheme which provides recognised national approval for individuals providing unregistered childcare in the child’s home or, for children aged over 7, on other domestic premises.

Who acts as the approval body?

Nestor has been chosen to act as the approval body on the Department's behalf and  provides the approval service.

The Childcare Approval Scheme is a voluntary scheme for approving childcare providers and enabling parents and employers to check if a carer is approved.

Information for Parents

What the scheme does

• It verifies that the individual has a childcare qualification or has attended an induction course, which is deemed appropriate.
• It verifies that the applicant has undergone appropriate first aid training within 3 years prior to the date of approval.
• It carries out an enhanced CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) check including a POCA (Protection of Children’s Act) list check. The childcare approval body will then assess whether the CRB disclosure or entries on the POCA list contain information which would make the applicant unsuitable to work with children.
• The scheme applies only to childcare provided in England.

What the scheme doesn’t do

• It doesn’t verify whether the childcarer is eligible to work in the UK.
• It doesn’t clarify the age group that they are suited to work with.
• It doesn’t guarantee that parents using an approved childcarer are entitled to financial support either via working tax credit or employer supported childcare.
• It doesn’t remove the parents’ responsibility to make sure that childcarers are individually suitable to look after their children.

How long will approval be valid?

Approval will be valid for one year and as the scheme is self financing a fee of £99 is payable which includes the cost of the CRB check plus VAT.

Will childcare be eligible for help within the Working Tax Credit childcare element?

Childcare will not be eligible care for the help within the Working Tax Credit childcare element or through tax and NICs savings on employer supported childcare or childcare vouchers if that care is provided by:

• a relative of a child caring for that child in the child's home even if the relative is registered or approved.
• a childcarer approved under the Childcare Approval Scheme, who is caring for a child/ren away from the child/ren's home, and who is only caring for a child/ren to whom he/she is related.
• a relative of the child means a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother or sister whether by blood, half-blood, marriage or affinity.
  If you have any questions about the meaning of relative, please phone the Tax Credits Helpline on 0845 300 3900 or look on the tax credits website

The difference between approved childcarers and registered childcarers

Registered Childcare means that the childcare provision is registered with Ofsted. Ofsted is the Governments Office for Standards in Education which are responsible for the registration and inspection of childcare provision throughout England. Ofsted have set 14 National Standards which registered childcare has to meet.

If the childcare provision has been registered with Ofsted they have to undergo a series of checks which include;

• a criminal records check,
• a health check,
• and an inspection of the premises

before they are allowed to care for children.

After registration Ofsted continues to regularly inspect childcare providers to ensure that staff and premises continue to provide a suitable standard of care for young children, in line with the National Standards. Inspection reports are published by Ofsted.

The main difference is that Registered Childcarers have to meet the 14 National Standards set by Ofsted and are inspected regularly. Approved Childcarers are only required to pass a series of basic checks.

There is useful information from National Childminding Association about choosing a home childcarer here

Childcarers who are Approved under this scheme

The following childcarers are approved under this scheme, if you decide to use these childcarers, please check with the Childcare Approval Scheme that their approval is still valid.