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Agency's ‘ineffective’ grade puts childminders on alert

Childminders in more than 100 local authority areas are being restricted or having funding for entitlement offers withheld after their agency's Ofsted inspection. By Katy Morton
Edelweiss Childcare is a Rutland member
Edelweiss Childcare is a Rutland member

Childminders are calling on the Department for Education (DfE) to amend the childminding agency model to prevent members losing their funding if an agency is rated ‘ineffective’ by Ofsted.

It comes after Rutland Early Years Agency, which has approximately 766 members, was found to be ineffective by the inspectorate in November – leading to a number of childminders having their funding pulled with little to no notice and some taking the decision to close their business.

Registered charity Childminding UK has written to MPs about the impact on childminders when an agency becomes ‘ineffective’, while a group of childminders have contacted the DfE about ensuring equal opportunities for agency childminders and childminders individually registered with Ofsted.

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