Registered childcare is provided by a person who acts as a childminder or who provides day care.
They must be registered by:
- the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED), if you’re a resident in England
- Care Inspectorate, if you’re a resident in Scotland
- Education and Training Inspectorate, if you’re a resident in Northern Ireland
- Estyn for local authority nursery schools and independent school nurseries or Care and Social Services Inspectorate (CSSIW) for childminders, if you’re a resident in Wales
Registered childcare can cover:
- registered nurseries
- registered childminders
- play Groups
- Early Excellence Centres
- after school or holiday play schemes that include children under the age of 8
Childcare can also be provided by:
- out of school hours childcare provided by the school on the school premises
- a nurse or domiciliary worker provided by an agency registered under the Domestic Care Agency regulations 2002, this is normally for a sick or disabled child or children in the child's own home
- an approved foster carer - the childcare must be for a child who is not being fostered by that foster carer
Some childcare providers are exempt from being registered with OFSTED or are not required to be registered separately.
Some nursery schools or providers are no longer required to hold a separate Early Years registration with OFSTED if:
- they’re providing care to children aged 2 and over
- the childcare is run directly by the school
- at least one of the children that attends is a pupil of the school