Starting a childcare business

If you would like to start your own childcare business, you should first of all contact the Childcare Team.  We can tell you what you need to do next, the procedures you must follow and how and when to contact OfSTED.

There are five types of childcare provision:

• Full day care
• Sessional day care
• Crèches
• Out of school care
• Childminders      

National daycare standards
There are 14 national daycare standards for each of the five provisions which you must meet.  You can get a copy of these from the Childcare Team or DCSF Publications on 0845 6022260.

Childminders
Because childminders care for children in their own home and do not need to employ any staff much of the following information will not be necessary.

However, before you can register as a childminder you will need to attend two two-hour briefing sessions followed by the childminder induction course. Contact the Childcare Team on 01925 443131 for more information.

Qualifications
If you want to be just the proprietor of a childcare setting, you do not need any childcare qualifications.  

If you want to manage the childcare provision, you must have at least an appropriate NVQ level 3 qualification plus at least two years experience of working in day care.

Finding a good location
You will need to do some market research to see if there is a demand for childcare in the area in which you want to open the business.  You will also need to find out how many other childcare providers there are and how many children are actually living in the area. The Childcare Team has recently carried out a comprehensive assessment of childcare sufficiency, which can help you in choosing a suitable location for your childcare business. This assessment will be reviewed on an annual basis.

Childcare Sufficiency Assessment 2007 - Full Report 

Childcare Sufficiency Assessment 2007 - Summary 

The building
The building that you wish to turn into a childcare setting must be well maintained and in a suitable state of cleanliness, repair and decoration.  It must also meet planning and building control requirements.

You should contact the Planning Department on 01925 442819 and Building Control on 01925 442553. 

The building must also be an appropriate size for the amount of children you will have in it:

• At least 3.5m² per child under the age of two 
• At least 2.5m² per child aged two 
• At least 2.3m² per child aged three to seven      

Available funding
There may be some funding available to help with your start up costs. The amount of funding will depend on the location of your childcare setting, the ages and the number of children you will be caring for. Contact the Childcare Team Business and Finance Support Officer on 01925 443309.

Staff wages
The amount you pay your staff may vary greatly, depending on the type of childcare you are offering.  However, you must meet the requirements set out in the Equal Pay Act 1970 and the national minimum wage.

Related pages:

• Childcare
• Support for childcare practitioners and managers
• Concerns about a childcare practitioner
• Recruitment of childminders
• Vetting of childcare staff
• Types of childcare

External websites:

• OFSTED (Registration requirements and information): 08456 40 40 40 
• Pre-School Learning Alliance: 020 7833 0991
• National Day Nursery Association: 0870 770 0449
• 4 Children: 020 7512 2100
• Day Care Trust: 020 7840 3350       

Contact us: 
Families Information Service
3rd Floor, New Town House
Buttermarket Street
Warrington, WA1 2NJ
Tel: 01925 443131
Email: fis@warrington.gov.uk