CHILDMINDER START-UP GRANTS SCHEME

About this grant

New childminders who have registered with Ofsted or a childminder agency (CMA) on or after 15 March 2023 may apply for a childminder start-up grant. Applicants may receive only one grant under this scheme.

Childminders must:
• work in England
• provide their unique childminder registration number
• provide their registration date.

Eligible applicants must be either:
- registered as a childminder for the first time
- previously registered as a childminder, but de-registered for at least 12 months before their current registration

The following types of childcare registration are not eligible for this scheme:
• Pre-schools and playgroups
• Day Nurseries
• Breakfast and afterschool clubs
• Nursery schools/classes
• Children's centres
• Holiday schemes
• Creches
• Nannies and au pairs
• CODP (Childcare on domestic premises)

Please note, from 1 November 2024, ‘childminders without domestic premises’ are eligible to apply for the grant.

Ofsted registrations

Applicants registered with Ofsted must be listed as a childminder on the early years register or the general childcare register (compulsory or voluntary).

Childminder agency (CMA) registrations

Childminders with a CMA must have completed the registration process to be eligible for the first payment of £600.

To receive a second payment of £600, CMA-registered childminders must have taken on their first child within 6 months of their registration date. CMAs will automatically notify the scheme when applicants become eligible for the second payment.

Applicants who have had to delay taking on their first child past six months, for example due to maternity or paternity leave, should make their CMA aware of the reason, and the date that they do take on their first child, as they may still be eligible for a second payment.

Contacts

You can contact us through the following:
Email: childmindergrants@ecorys.com
Telephone: 0203 959 0380

How to Apply

Registration dates

Childminders must complete their Ofsted or CMA registration before applying for the grant.

Timeframes

Most childminders will find out if they can receive a grant within two weeks of submitting their application.

When to apply

New childminders who wish to apply for the grant will need to finalise their Ofsted or CMA registration by 31 March 2025.

We recognise that in some circumstances childminder registration may be delayed due to registration checks (for example, GP health checks) taking longer than expected.

For this reason, an applicant who submits their registration to Ofsted or a CMA by 3 January 2025 will still be eligible to apply for the grant if completion of their registration is delayed beyond 31 March 2025 for reasons relating to the completion of registration checks. In these cases, we will require Ofsted or your CMA to confirm that your registration with them has been delayed for these reasons.

Please note: Applicants who begin their registration with Ofsted or a CMA after 3 January 2025 will still be eligible to apply for the grant as long as they finalise registration prior to 31 March 2025.

If you are a CMA-registered childminder, you must have started childminding your first child within 6 months of your registration date to get your second payment. If your registration is delayed beyond 31 March 2025 you must have started childminding by 30 September 2025 as this is the final date that second payments can be made.

What you’ll need:
• your contact details
• your National Insurance number
• details of your registered work address (if different from your home address)
• proof of your registered work address, such as a utility bill or a letter from HMRC
• to know your local authority area
• your childminder registration number and registration date
• details of the bank account you want the grant paying into
• a copy of a bank statement showing your current address


After registering below, please read the full application guidance available under the help section ((?) logo) in the header at the top left of your screen.

Help
If you need further help or a paper application form, get in touch with the Ecorys support team by email or phone as above.

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Application guidance