Types of Home-Based Childcare:
Childminders are registered childcare providers who care for children in their own homes. They follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, offering care and educational activities.
Nannies are employed by families to provide childcare in the family’s home. They offer one-on-one care, tailored to the family’s needs.
Other roles include childminding assistants and au pairs.
Regulations and Registration:
Ofsted Registration For England, there are 2 Ofsted registers: the Early Years Register and the Childcare Register. Childminders must register with the Early years register if they have very young children in their care (under 5), and with the Childcare Register if the children are between 5 and 8.
Childminders who exclusively look after children over 8, and nannies can opt to join the voluntary register, which allows them to take payment through childcare vouchers.
Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have their own regulatory bodies, the Care Inspectorate, the Care and Social Services Inspectorate, and Health and Social Care Trust respectively.
Benefits:
Flexibility For childminders at least, you can lay down specifics of when to work. For instance you can decide on which hours, which days and which age groups you do or don’t want to work with.
Variety Moreso with nannies, you get to experience different settings as each placement will be in a different home. And if you choose to, you could look for placements in other countries as well
The NCFE Level 3 Homebased Childcare Award starts with a mandatory unit, followed by an elective unit in either childminding or nannying, allowing you to specialise in your particular preferred area.