Childcare and early years
Finding childcare, running a childcare business, financial support, data collection, local authority obligations.
On this page
Services
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Find free early education and childcare
Check if your council offers free early education and childcare
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Find a nursery school place
Apply for a place in a nursery school for children under 5 through your local council
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Early years foundation stage
The early years foundation stage (EYFS) sets standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5
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Find an Ofsted inspection report
Search for Ofsted inspection reports for childminders and childcare providers, schools, colleges, further education providers, children and families services
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Find a registered childminder
Contact your local council to find a registered childminder - Family Information Service, early years education, childcare and family support in your area
Guidance and regulation
- Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
- Early years foundation stage statutory framework (EYFS)
- Sign in to your childcare provider account for Tax-Free Childcare
- Ofsted: coronavirus (COVID-19) rolling update
- Education inspection framework (EIF)
News and communications
Research and statistics
- Childcare providers and inspections as at 31 March 2020
- Childcare providers and inspections as at 31 August 2018
- Childcare providers and inspections as at 31 December 2018
- Childcare providers and inspections as at 31 March 2019
- Childcare providers and inspections as at 31 August 2019
Policy papers and consultations
- Early years childcare fees regulations
- Education inspection framework 2019: inspecting the substance of education
- Surveys on childcare and early years in England
- Government response to the 'First 1000 days of life' report
- Government response to report on tackling early years disadvantage
Transparency and freedom of information releases
- Joiners and leavers in the childcare sector
- Consented addresses for childminders and domestic childcare
- Number of children’s centres: 2003 to 2019
- Childminder and home childcarer (nanny) applications
- Ofsted Inspectors: lists