A report by MPs in April recommended that two new bodies should be set up to replace Ofsted - an Education Inspectorate and a Care Inspectorate, with childminders falling under the remit of care (News, 21 April and Analysis, 12 May).
A letter sent to committee chair Graham Stuart has been signed by, among others, psychologist and child development expert Penelope Leach, a former president of the National Childminding Association; Gill Haynes, former NCMA chief executive; Sue Owen of the National Children's Bureau; and Charlie Rice, now of the Fatherhood Institute and former director of training at the NCMA.
Sue Griffin, former national training and quality assurance manager at the NCMA, told Nursery World, 'Many of us worked hard to achieve recognition for childminding as part of early years education in the 1990s and 2000s, when the status of childminding was put on an equal footing with other early years providers.
'We need to keep reminding the Government that you can't split childminding away from the early years sector.'
In the letter, the experts write, 'We feel that it would be turning the clock back in terms of the quality and status of the valuable contribution childminders make to the provision of services to children and families. It took many years of positive work to ensure that childminders became recognised as on a level playing field with other early years providers.'
They said the introduction of the Early Years Foundation Stage confirmed this situation, as registered childminders are required to comply with the EYFS.
Meanwhile, in their own response to Mr Stuart, NCMA's joint chief executives Liz Bayram and Catherine Farrell said they have 'serious concerns' about the proposal to separate care from education, and childminders from other provision, which it said would be detrimental to the childminding profession.
'Separating childminders from other early years providers would be a backwards step for the profession, positioning them as second-class providers of childcare and undermining their important role in providing early education.'
