Opinion

Brett Wigdortz: Official figures show the sector is 'haemorrhaging' childminders, but this isn't a true picture!

Viewpoint
Talk of a childminder exodus misleadingly ignores the fact that Childminder Agencies (CMAs) are retaining and recruiting strong numbers, says the co-founder and CEO of tiney and Teach First.

According to a new Department for Education survey, the childminding profession has lost 10 per cent of its workforce in the last year – it paints a shocking picture, but is it an accurate one?

Whenever data like this is released, I find myself scanning for one crucial statement. Just a few paragraphs into this most recent report, I spot it: ‘childminders registered with a childminder agency are not included in the survey.’ It’s a simple sentence, but one that holds so much meaning. 

It’s no secret that Ofsted has been haemorrhaging childminders for years. Annual reports point to a consistent downward trend in workforce numbers.

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