Member's statement: Childminders
Member's statement by Mrs Michelle Guy on .
- MLA
- Mrs Michelle Guy
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 19 May 2026
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Childminders
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5549151
Read the official Assembly record
Text
This morning, I am going in to bat again for our childminders, who are feeling increasingly ignored by Departments that are making significant decisions that are so ill considered that they threaten the viability of the sector. In Westminster, the Treasury's proposal to remove the 10% wear-and-tear allowance will create upfront expenditure and an administrative burden that will drive many childminders out of the sector. Locally, we have the Health Minister announcing long-awaited changes to minimum standards, which include ratios for childminders. Childminders have told me that, in practical terms, the proposed changes will reduce the number of children under 18 months whom a childminder is permitted to care for. That will have a real impact, because the demand from families who are trying to get childcare relates to children under school age, and those changes will not help with that. The changes have also introduced caveats around siblings, leaving people confused as to the evidence base and logic behind the decisions. There appear to be no changes for those employing childminding assistants, and there remain significant barriers, such as having to go through the planning process or trying to get appropriate transport, if a childminder wants to take on the maximum number of eight children. Following engagement with the Northern Ireland Childminding Association (NICMA), I know that the Health Department has already conceded that the implementation date of June needs to be pushed back to November. June was never a feasible timeline, given that childminders had flagged that they would have to end or change contracts with parents on the basis of the changes. What did the Department expect those parents to do? Getting new childcare places, especially in rural areas, is not easy. We need childminders now more than ever, and they are not feeling that. Policy decisions taken without impact assessments or a robust evidence base undermine confidence. The Minister and officials must listen to the needs of the sector and course correct urgently. If we want a sustainable childcare sector, the professionals who are in it need to be respected and listened to.
347 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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