HC Deb 29 April 2002 vol 384 c568W
Mrs. Laing

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many licensed child minders there were in each of the last seven years. [48221]

Margaret Hodge

[holding answer 10 April 2002]: The information requested is shown in the table.

Numbers of registered child minders1—England—position at 31 March each year
Registered child minders
1995 97,100
1996 102,600
1997 98,500
1998 94,700
1999 82,200
2000 75,600
2001 72,300
1 Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred.

Notes:

1. This information was provided by local authorities.

2. While the change in the number of registered child minders is of concern it has coincided with increases in alternative forms of child care over the past few years, which have offered a greater diversity in services for parents and children.

3. The Government value registered child minding and are concerned about the decline in child minder numbers. The Government's strategy to help to reverse this trend includes:

a four year national recruitment campaign to raise the status of working in the sector;

child minder start up grants;

grants to help child minders in disadvantaged areas when they have a vacancy; and

the creation of networks to support child minders.