Friendly Childminders' Hub
Launching on Sunday 1st February 2026 at 10am!
100 Reasons
to Choose a Childminder
by Sam Heaven ©
1. ​They are friendly and nurturing childcare professionals who are passionate about what they do.​
​2. They provide a warm and welcoming home from home for the children and their families.
3. They are educated, qualified, insured and regulated independent business owners.​
4. They operate at the heart of local communities, enabling parents to access childcare near to home/school/work for convenient commutes so they can maximise family time.​
5. They work hard to forge a strong partnership with the children’s parents and families, getting to know everyone well and providing regular updates about the children's days and progress, often with photos
​6. They know that every child is a unique individual and so create curriculums that are tailored to each child’s developmental needs, enabling them to meet the child where they are right now. These curriculums are flexible and adjusted accordingly to keep up with the child’s progress, so whilst they may not be written down as this takes time away from the children, the childminder can share exactly where the child is if they are asked.​
7. They can often be heard pointing out interesting sights on a journey, such as cow, fire engine or tractor, even when they are not working and there are no children in the car.
8. They get to know the children incredibly well, providing exceptional care and creating strong bonds, without stepping on parents' toes.
9. They prevent the spread of illness and infection and safeguard everyone in the setting by refusing to care for poorly children and ensuring the environment is cleaned daily.
10. The adult/child ratio enables an excellent level of care and attention for each child.
11. They are inspected by an official organisation or agency at regular intervals.​
12. They thoroughly interview and check the credentials of any member of staff they take on, ensuring they are suitable, qualified and a great asset to their setting.​
​13. They are fully insured with public liability insurance, home insurance and enhanced car insurance if they drive.​
​14. They complete ongoing training to enhance their continuous professional development and to keep up to date with the latest happenings in the childcare sector.​
15. They interact with other childminders in person or online to have professional conversations and to support their own wellbeing.​
16. They offer competitive rates that reflect the area they are based in.​
​​17. They go through a rigorous 'pre-registration' process in order for their suitability to be approved with documents such as a health check being completed by their GP.
18. Childminders are specifically trained in paediatric first aid.
19. They choose their families as much as a family chooses them, to ensure a 'good fit', and they will go above and beyond to make new families feel welcome.
20. Their teaching blends children’s interests with new topics to expand children’s knowledge.
21. Their home/setting is inspected as part of a 'pre-registration visit' to ensure it is a safe and suitable environment for children.​
22. They can provide clear contracts and invoices, making both the expectations for their setting and the financial side of the business clear to parents, so everyone knows where they stand.
23. They will think of the children fondly long after they have grown and flown their childminding nest, often welcoming them back or even caring for their children!
​24. Their opening times are organised around the needs of their own families, contributing to a great work life balance and a positive environment for the children.​
25. They will purchase the best equipment and resources that they can afford, spending hours researching the best double buggy, childminding rucksack, first aid kit or four seater wagon – whatever it may be.
26. They are meticulous record keepers, keeping registers, medical forms and first aid forms as and when needed.​​
​27. They can access memberships with large childminding organisations to acquire insurance, training and to seek guidance with business issues, providing reassurance as an independent business owner.
28. They can access a membership to the Friendly Childminders’ Hub to seek information, support and connection in both their professional and personal lives, enabling them to be the best childminder they can be.
29. They align each child's home routine with a whole setting routine to make everyone feel comfortable and happy.
30. Opening times and days offered vary for each individual childminder, meaning parents can find someone to suit their childcare needs, whether that be long shift work, unsociable hours or weekends.
31. They encourage kindness, fairness, and respect for others in ways that suit each age group. Their approach celebrates individuality, embraces diversity, and actively stands against discrimination—creating a safe and welcoming environment for all children and families. ​
32. They seek permission from parents for activities and excursions, often when a child starts at the setting, so they know what parents are comfortable with and parents know what to expect. ​
33. They will pick up resources whilst out and about on their own time because they've seen something they know the children will like.​
34. Strong friendships are often formed between the children and sometimes their families too, which continue long after they have left the setting.
35. They will save random items because it sparks an idea for an activity to help a child with a particular skill that they are finding tricky.​
​36. They celebrate and learn about different cultures and beliefs, teaching children about diversity and acceptance. ​
​37. They will search tirelessly for specific ideas to help the children with their individual developmental targets.
38. They can offer extra financial relief through funded places, tax free childcare or employer vouchers (if their country offers it).
39. Whilst the lines between their jobs and homelife may appear blurred to an outsider, they do have clear boundaries in place, so parents know when they are available for contact and when it’s their personal time.
40. They have access to non statutory documents, such as the Development Matters to support with building curriculums, monitoring progress and selecting next steps for the children.
41. They understand that no two days are the same and use a flexible structure to best suit the spontaneous learning of the children whilst providing a reassuring routine.​
42. They encourage children to be independent and support with life skills such as putting on coats and shoes, but they also recognise that sometimes a request for help is a deeper need for connection.​
43. They are willing to participate in additional training to support children with a particular medical, special educational need or disability.​
44. They wear their hearts on their sleeves, whilst being honest and sensitive to the needs of the parents as well as the children.​
45. They risk assess and maintain their homes, settings, equipment and resources regularly to ensure all areas are always safe and suitable for children.
​46. They introduce the children to their pets, teaching them to care for and respect the animals.​
47. Their learning environments are updated when needed to reflect the latest interests of the children both at home and within the setting. They provide a wide range of child safe and age appropriate resources that includes things like books, mark making implements, traditional toys, loose parts and suitable household objects.
48. They will hold open and honest conversations with parents around each child's development, offering guidance when asked and support when needed.
49. They teach the children about wonderful events, such as the changing of the seasons, through hands on experiences in the great outdoors.
50. They provide safe sleep spaces for children who nap, ensuring all bedding and equipment is clean, safe and suitable.
51. They ensure special days, such as birthdays or important family occasions are celebrated withing the setting.
52. If they do not have their own outdoor space, they ensure the children have daily access to safe green spaces.​
53. Each childminder is entirely unique, and parents can find one who aligns with their values.​
54. They provide opportunities for settling in sessions that suit the needs of both the new child and the children in the setting, so everyone is happy and comfortable.​
55. They know the importance of dressing for the weather; rain doesn’t stop play but the hottest summer days needs avoiding during peak times; and they work closely with parents to ensure the children have access to suitable clothing, accessories and footwear.​​
56. They promote good oral health within their setting and can support families with this.
​57. The children benefit greatly from being in mixed age settings and learn so much from each other.
58. They follow statutory frameworks to ensure they are compliant with the law, the government's expectations and they stay up to date with any changes.
59. They are designated safeguarding leads who undertake 'training refreshers' when needed and they remain informed of safeguarding developments within the childcare sector.
60. They understand the balance between introducing new and exciting resources whilst providing opportunities to develop skills with long standing resources.
61. They may meet up with other childminders whose values align with theirs and the children get the benefit of playing with other children through shared activities.​
​62. Siblings can be cared for together in the same setting and continue strengthening the bonds they share at home.​​​
63. They have an understanding of food allergens and the importance of food labelling to ensure they are providing safe foods and avoiding cross contamination for the children with allergies and/or intolerances.​​
​64. They use television and technology considerately as a tool to enhance the children's learning.​​​
​65. They teach the children that there are so many more exciting things in a park beside the playground equipment.​​
66. Safeguarding is paramount and they know what signs to look for and the action to take if they have any concerns.​​
​67. They can support with weaning and will take the lead from the parents and the child, whilst also having an awareness of food allergens and any emerging dietary requirements.​​
68. Children can remain in the same setting from being babies all the way through to the start of school or their home education journey, and more importantly, they can stay with those they've formed bonds with.
69. They understand the importance of shared mealtimes, promoting good manners and social interaction.
70. They have an understanding of different dietary requirements and can support a child's individual needs, whether they are for religious, cultural or health reasons.
71. They have a robust safeguarding policy for their setting, and they know the safeguarding escalation procedure for their local authority, that they will use without hesitation to keep children safe.​
72. They teach children about the wonders of nature by immersing them in rich outdoor environments and letting them experience it for themselves.​
​73. They can tell the difference between a child who is just a bit under the weather and when they are poorly and need to be in the care of their parents.​
74. They provide opportunities for whole body movement each day, whether that’s through outdoor play, dancing or climbing equipment, they ensure they meet the gross motor needs of each child.​
​75. They offer healthy home cooked meals or the opportunity for parents to provide lunches from home depending upon their individual policies.​
​76. They know the current TV and film characters, the accompanying songs and also not forgetting the old classics! They have quite the repertoire!​
77. They provide daily opportunities for children to work on fine motor skills through mark making, small world play, malleable materials like playdough, sand or water.
78. Whilst they are not responsible for toilet training, they can recognise the signs that a child is ready and offer both support and consistency to families as they teach their child this skill.
79. They can support breast fed babies in the way that best suits the baby and their mum.
80. They can see the world through the children's eyes, with a sense of wonder and amazement, enabling them to facilitate fantastic learning opportunities.
81. They support children who attend more than one setting, reaching out to their key workers to build a united education for the child through the sharing of information.​
82. They keep up to date with changes to government legislation and news articles that affect the childcare sector.​
​83. They provide parents with their child's two year check, a statutory document for the health visitor to read, and will follow up with recommendations for support.​
​84. They liaise with other professionals, for example social workers, whenever needed to support the children and their families.
​85. They can recognise when a child may have a developmental delay, for example with communication and language, and they will go above and beyond to support both the parents and the child and help them access and ‘outside professional help’ they may need.​
​86. They may have a specialism which enables them to provide particular support for children with a special educational need, disability or medical need. ​
​87. They can provide transitional support as a child moves onto another setting, such as school and arrange for teacher visits during the summer term.
88. Children experience the joy of participating in everyday activities such as cooking, gardening, shopping or maybe having lunch in a café.
89. They understand the importance of safe travel and if applicable to their setting, will ensure all children have access to size appropriate and well maintained car seats.
90. They can signpost parents to information that they might find useful, for example accessing financial support, the seven areas of learning or the EYFS Statutory Framework.
91. If wrap around care is offered, older siblings can continue to attend once they have left early years and are attending school. They may even be able to attend during the school holidays too.​
92. They can take the children on adventures both locally and further afield, providing them with immersive learning opportunities, whether that is a farm, museum, tourist attraction or any location that suits the children’s current interests.​
​93. They have a responsibility to collect information about the children, ensuring they are well informed and have up to date contact details for parents and wider family and friends, in the unlikely, but not impossible event of an emergency.​​
94. They will keep personal information about children and their families confidential, sharing only what is necessary with professionals, but never with other families in the setting. but share with parents how their family’s personal data is stored and used.
95. They conduct risk assessments regularly when out and about to ensure the children are always safe and the environment is suitable.​
​96. They actively promote cultural capital, which means children are provided with opportunities that they wouldn't normally experience in their day to day life.​​
97. They know all about the latest craze and find a way to make into a learning opportunity as they know the children will engage with it.
98. They read stories to the children every day they are in their care, often with silly voices and lots of enthusiasm even if it's a dog eared favourite that they have read 100s of times!
99. They have a duty of care to the wellbeing of all the children and their families, and will follow through with any concerns they may have. For example, if a child does not appear on a contracted day, they will take the necessary steps to ensure that child and their parent is safe and well.
100. They have the children's best interests at heart and will always support them and their parents, without judgement and always with love.