Policy papers and consultations

We are seeking views on Department for Education proposals to support childminders and childminder agencies (CMAs) and future policy development.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 15 March 2024

Information about the 2023 Spring Budget announcement on early years entitlements and associated funding.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 22 December 2023

• Childminder start-up grants scheme update: September 2023

  Applications for the childminder start-up grants scheme are now open.…

• Childminder start-up grants scheme update: April 2023

  Following the announcement of the new start-up grant for childminders at…

• Early education entitlements and funding update: March 2023

  In the government’s spring budget, the Chancellor announced transformative…

We are seeking views on proposals regarding our approach to funding for early years entitlements for 2-year-olds and under from April 2024.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 29 November 2023

We’re seeking views on proposed changes to requirements in the early years foundation stage (EYFS).

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 27 October 2023

An evaluation plan and theory of change of the Ofsted education inspection framework (EIF).

• From: Ofsted
• Updated: 22 August 2023

Sets out the government's progress in implementing the Early Years Healthy Development Review report 'The best start for life: a vision for the 1,001 critical days'.

• From: Department of Health and Social Care
• Updated: 4 April 2023

We are gathering a range of views to help us reach well-informed and fair decisions on proposed regulatory changes to childcare in England.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 15 March 2023

Information about childminder agencies (CMAs).

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 3 March 2022

DfE requirements for Ofsted when inspecting early years childcare providers.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 26 May 2021

This consultation seeks your views on proposed changes to our statistical release on childcare providers and inspections.

• From: Ofsted
• Updated: 11 May 2021

DfE requirements for Ofsted when organising and undertaking childminder agency (CMA) inspections.

• From: Department for Education and 1 others
• Updated: 23 February 2021

We're seeking views on proposed changes to early years fees paid to Ofsted, and on the principles that should underpin a revised fee model.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 17 March 2020

Ofsted seeks your views on our proposals for changes to the education inspection framework from September 2019.

• From: Ofsted
• Updated: 29 July 2019

Command paper responding to the Health and Social Care Select Committee report on 'First 1000 days of life'.

• From: Department of Health and Social Care
• Updated: 6 June 2019

Government response to the Education Select Committee report on tackling disadvantage in the early years.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 4 April 2019

This consultation seeks user perspectives on 2 surveys released as official statistics on childcare and early years provision in England.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 20 December 2018

We are seeking views on the proposed early years assistant (level 2) criteria and their suitability for qualifications in early education and childcare.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 26 July 2018

We invite views on proposed changes to when childcare workers are disqualified from working in schools and non-domestic settings.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 2 July 2018

A summary of the support given to early years providers to help them run sustainable and successful businesses.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 10 November 2017

The government's plans to help employers attract, retain and develop early years staff.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 3 March 2017