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Early years provision can include nannies, childminders, pre-schools and nurseries as well as school-based early years provision. Some early years childcare providers take children from two to five years old, and others take children from birth to five.
How to find an early years childcare provider
You can search for childcare or early years provision in your area on the Ofsted website where you can check if a childcare provider is registered on the Ofsted website. You can also use Ofsted’s ‘Find an inspection report’ facility to find childcare providers and childminders in your area and see how they are performing. A new childcare search is coming soon.
All funded early years and childcare provision in Devon is inclusive; this means that they must:
- make reasonable adjustments for disabled children
- prevent discrimination and promote equality
- support pupils with medical conditions
We’ve also provided some information about the help you can get with paying for childcare.
How do I choose the right childcare for my child?
Knowing what to look for or what to ask about when choosing childcare can be really tricky. We have put together some useful guides and information to help you in the decision-making process.
- Finding the right type of childcare and how to know what to look out for
- Useful hints and tips to help choose the right childcare
How can we help with finding childcare?
Childcare brokerage service
If you need help finding early years and childcare provision you can use our childcare brokerage service.
This service is available to parents and carers who have searched and are unable to find suitable childcare options or for those who are unable to negotiate the system themselves.
A new childcare search is coming soon, in the meantime, you can check if a childcare provider is registered on the Ofsted website. You can also use Ofsted’s ‘Find an inspection report’ facility to find childcare providers and childminders in your area and see how they are performing.
The team can:
- explain the childcare system, the Early Years Entitlement and 2-year-old funding
- supply complete and up-to-date lists of childcarers in your area
- suggest options you might not know about
- provide information on paying for childcare and tips on choosing and arranging your childcare
- contact childcarers on your behalf to check for vacancies and arrange appointments for you to visit
You can contact the team by calling 01392 383000 and asking for Early Years and Childcare Service or by emailing eycs@devon.gov.uk
What can I do if I can’t find suitable childcare?
We understand that finding the right childcare for your child is really important and it is our job to ensure that there are enough early years and childcare places for families in Devon, as far as is reasonably practicable. A Childcare Sufficiency Assessment report is written each year providing information on childcare provision within the county.
If you can’t find the childcare that you need, let us know as we may be able to help. You can do this by completing the unable to find suitable childcare form.
Specialist early years and childcare providers
There are also specialist early years and childcare providers in the county, which provide for children with learning difficulties or complex needs. These are the maintained special schools with nursery places.
How can I access these schools for my child?
Every child admitted will need to have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Places at these schools are commissioned by the Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) 0-25 team and can only be offered by them.
Further information
For more information about the schools, please visit their websites:
- Bidwell Brook School, Dartington – for children and young people aged 3 to 19 with severe learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties and complex needs.
- Ellen Tinkham School, Exeter – for children and young people aged 3 to 19 with severe learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties and complex needs.
- Mill Water School, Budleigh Salterton – for children and young people aged 3 to 19 with severe learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties and complex needs.
- Orchard Manor School, Dawlish – for pupils aged 3 to19 with communication and interaction difficulties, Autistic spectrum conditions and learning needs. Pupils attend either weekly as residential pupils (Monday to Friday), or as day pupils.
- Pathfield School, Barnstaple – for children and young people aged 3 to 19 with severe learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties and complex needs.
There is also an independent special school with nursery places (it does not offer funded two, three and four-year-old places) in Devon. Please contact the school for more information: