Using a home childcarer

What is the Childcare Register?

The Childcare Register is the Ofsted register of providers who care for children from birth to 17 years. The register has two parts, compulsory and voluntary.

Providers who do not have to register on the compulsory part may choose to register on the voluntary part. These are mainly people looking after children aged eight and over, or providing care in the child’s home.

You cannot register to care for a child if you are the child’s parent or step-parent. You can register if you are a grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother or sister (whether of full blood or half blood, or by marriage or civil partnership), as long as you are available to care for other children.

Do Ofsted inspect registered home childcarers?

A random selection of all those on the Childcare Register are inspected to see if they comply with the requirements for registration.

All home childcarers on the Childcare Register are inspected if Ofsted receives a complaint that relates to the requirements of registration, or any conditions Ofsted may have imposed on a registration.

You can find information about home childcarers and Ofsted registration on the Ofsted website at www.ofsted.gov.uk.