§ Mrs. LaingTo 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.