• Find an early years and childcare inspection report
• Understanding an early years and childcare inspection report
• Types of early years and childcare Ofsted inspects
• Inspecting early years and childcare
• Types of early years and childcare Ofsted regulates
• Regulating early years and childcare; applying to be a provider
  • About the two early years and childcare registers
  • Registration not required
  • Before the registration process as a childminder
  • Registering as a childminder
    • Completing your application to be a childminder
    • The visit - part of registration for childminding
    • Your certificate for childminding
  • After registration as a childminder
• Safeguarding children
• Children's centres
• About our survey reports
• How to complain

Your certificate for childminding

If we register you, then we will send you a registration certificate.

The certificate will state the registers that you are now on and may have any conditions of registration. These control how you work and we can change them, remove them or add new ones at any time while you are registered.

You must make sure that you meet all your conditions at all times.

If you want to change something on your certificate, go to the Guide to registration on the Early Years Register: childminder.

Your certificate and beginning childminding

You cannot begin working as a childminder until you have received your certificate – even when you know the registration process is underway.

Displaying your certificate

You must display the certificate where parents and carers can see it; if you also work as a home childcarer then you must show it to parents and carers when they ask.

If something happens to your certificate

If your certificate gets damaged or lost then you will need to contact us to get a replacement on 0300 123 1231. The fee for a replacement certificate is £7.