What is a childminder?
A childminder is a registered childcare professional who looks after children in their own home for more than two hours a day and receives payment for their services. Childminders offer a warm, home-based setting where children can learn, play, and thrive — often forming close bonds in a family-style environment.
Choosing to become a childminder means you can:
- Be your own boss
- Work from home
- Set your own hours
- Build a career that fits around your family and commitments
It’s a rewarding role that allows you to support children in your local community, helping them grow and develop through play, routine, and real-life experiences. Childminders follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework and are regulated by Ofsted or a childminder agency, ensuring high standards of care and education.
What is a childminder without domestic premises?
A childminder without domestic premises is a registered childcare professional who cares for children exclusively in non-domestic settings - meaning they do not work from a home environment. These childminders still provide high-quality care and early education, but in places such as:
- Schools (for example, offering wraparound or school-based childcare)
- Community centres
- Dedicated spaces within local businesses.
This model offers greater flexibility for both childminders and families. For example, a business with a suitable space could host an onsite childminder for employees’ children, or a group of childminders could work together in a shared community venue.
Key points
- Childminders without domestic premises must be registered with Ofsted or a childminder agency.
- They must follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) requirements, just like home-based childminders.
- All childcare activities, including drop-off and pick-up, must take place at the non-domestic location.
- They cannot operate from any building that is used solely or mainly as a home.