Childminding Isn’t an Alternative - It’s a Professional Choice

Hi everyone, I’m Chloe - the owner and founder of The Early Years Edit.

But before anything else, I’m a parent.

And that shapes everything I believe about early years.

Over the past decade, I’ve worked across primary education, leadership, HR and accounts within a family run business, and now as a business owner in the early years sector. Education has always been at the centre of what I do.

But becoming a mum shifted my perspective in ways I didn’t expect.

In 2024, I made the decision to step away from classroom teaching and register with Ofsted as a childminder while my youngest was still very small. I wanted to be present, fully present, in a way that traditional teaching simply wasn’t allowing me at that stage of life.

My love for education never disappeared. But my desire to be an available, hands-on parent became stronger.

Childminding allowed me to honour both.

If I’m honest, when I first stepped into early years, I carried a misunderstanding I hadn’t really examined. Growing up, nurseries felt like the ‘default’ option if parents were working, and I hadn’t thought much beyond that. It wasn’t negative, it was simply a limited awareness of the wider early years landscape.

My older children attended nurseries, and I never even considered a childminder for them. It just wasn’t something I explored. Looking back now, I realise how narrow that understanding was. I wasn’t against it; I just didn’t fully understand it.

That perspective completely shifted once I began my own journey and opened my doors.

I saw first hand the depth of knowledge, professionalism, safeguarding rigour, planning, observation, reflection and intentional practice that goes into childminding. The responsibility. The expertise. The commitment. It changed how I viewed the entire sector.

And here’s something people often question - my youngest daughter attends a childminder too, as well as spending days with me.

“Why?” people ask.

Because I genuinely believe in children developing independence, forming secure relationships beyond our immediate family circle, and learning to trust other safe adults. Her childminder is fantastic. She is happy, settled and thriving there. And it allows me to work without that constant pull of guilt, knowing she is being nurtured, stimulated and cared for in a space that truly supports her.

It isn’t about convenience. It’s about balance, growth and community.

With the current push from the DfE around school-based nurseries, I believe it’s more important than ever that parents understand the full range of early years options available to them. Visibility matters. Awareness matters.

Childminders are not always viewed as early years professionals in the same way other settings are, and that’s something that needs to change.

We are professionals.

We are regulated.

We are accountable.

We are deeply devoted to what we do.

Childminders are EYFS practitioners. We follow the same Early Years Foundation Stage framework. We work to the same safeguarding expectations. We are inspected and regulated by Ofsted in exactly the same way as nurseries and other providers.

The difference isn’t in standards.

It’s in scale and approach.

One of the greatest strengths of childminding is its deeply personal nature. With smaller numbers, children are genuinely known. Their interests, routines, personalities, emotional needs and development shape the day in real time. Planning is responsive. Its relationship led. It’s flexible.

Learning happens in the everyday.

In cooking together.

In gardening.

In reading on the sofa.

In tidying up, side by side.

In muddy walks.

In quiet moments of connection.

It’s calm. It’s meaningful. It’s real.

Families often tell me they value the continuity childminding offers: one key adult, one familiar environment, relationships built over time. For many children, particularly younger ones or those who thrive on predictability, that consistency builds a deep sense of security and belonging.

This isn’t about one type of childcare being better than another. Nurseries, childminders and other early years settings all play an essential role. What matters most is finding the right fit for the child, at the right time.

What I’ve learned above all is this:

Childminding isn’t an alternative. It’s a professional, intentional choice.

And that belief is exactly why I started The Early Years Edit.

I truly believe there should be more accessible, realistic support for childminders and smaller early years settings.

In larger settings, there are often managers, room leaders, SENCOs and admin teams to share the load. In smaller settings, we wear all of those hats ourselves. We lead. We plan. We safeguard. We communicate with families. We track development. We manage paperwork. We run the business. We do it all.

And that can feel heavy.

The recent changes across the sector have understandably left many practitioners feeling overwhelmed. It’s been difficult watching experienced childminders step away from a profession they once loved. It can feel uncertain. It can feel isolating. And at times, it can feel like the pressure just keeps building.

Trust me - I know that feeling.

I created The Early Years Edit to offer the kind of support I wished had been more visible when I began. Clear guidance. Practical tools. Honest conversations. Resources that don’t add to the noise but genuinely reduce it.

If something I create makes one practitioner’s workload a little lighter, helps someone feel more confident before an inspection, supports a tricky conversation with a parent, or simply reassures someone that they’re doing better than they think, then it’s worth it.

Yes, my heart is very much with childminders. But this space is for all small early years settings who are juggling multiple roles and doing their absolute best for the children in their care.

We are not competitors. We are a community.

And a bit of guidance, shared knowledge and genuine support can go a very long way.

We are in this together.

Let’s support each other. 🤍