Do Childminders Have to Follow a Statutory Framework? What the Law Says in Each UK Nation

One of the most common questions childminders ask when they first register is whether they have to follow a specific framework. The answer is yes. But the framework you follow depends entirely on where you are registered. And here is the part that catches many childminders out: those frameworks change. Not always with a fanfare. Not always with advance warning. Sometimes you find out through a Facebook group rather than directly from your regulator.

This post explains the statutory frameworks that apply to childminders across all four UK nations, what they actually require you to do, and why keeping up with changes matters as much as following the framework itself.

The frameworks are not the same across the UK

This is worth stating clearly because it is widely misunderstood. England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland each operate under separate legislation, with separate regulators and separate frameworks. A childminder registered in Scotland does not follow the same statutory framework as a childminder registered in England. They are different documents, with different requirements, assessed by different inspectors.

If you have ever Googled a compliance question and found conflicting information, this is often why. The answer for England is not the answer for Scotland.

England: the Early Years Foundation Stage

In England, the statutory framework is the Early Years Foundation Stage, known as the EYFS. All early years providers, including childminders, must comply with all parts of the EYFS unless they have applied for and been granted an exemption.

From 4 January 2024, there are two separate EYFS frameworks: one specifically for childminders and one for group and school-based providers. If you are a childminder in England, the childminder framework is the one that applies to you. The current version came into force on 1 September 2025. If your policies or practice are still based on an older version, they should now be reviewed and updated.

The EYFS covers three areas: learning and development requirements, assessment, and safeguarding and welfare requirements. For childminders, all three apply.

Scotland: a different approach entirely

Scotland does not use the EYFS. Childminders in Scotland are regulated by the Care Inspectorate and assessed against a different set of frameworks.

While Scotland does not have an equivalent statutory framework like the EYFS, childminders are expected to work in line with national guidance and quality frameworks including Realising the Ambition, the national practice guidance for early years, GIRFEC (Getting It Right For Every Child), and the Health and Social Care Standards.

GIRFEC uses the SHANARRI wellbeing indicators, covering Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active, Respected, Responsible, and Included. These underpin how childminders in Scotland are expected to think about and record children's wellbeing.

Scotland has also moved towards a more unified quality framework approach across early learning and childcare settings, with children's rights and wellbeing increasingly central to inspection and self-evaluation. Scottish childminders should check the Care Inspectorate website regularly for current guidance, as this area continues to develop.

Wales: National Minimum Standards and the Curriculum for Wales

In Wales, childminders are regulated by Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) and must meet the National Minimum Standards for Regulated Childcare for children up to the age of 12. These standards cover safeguarding, nurture, and wellbeing, and set out the level of care all registered childcare providers must demonstrate.

Inspectors assess whether childminders are providing safe, nurturing care while supporting children's development and wellbeing in line with Welsh standards and guidance. The Curriculum for Wales provides the broader educational framework that applies to children's learning and development alongside these care standards.

Northern Ireland: National Minimum Standards for Childminding

In Northern Ireland, childminders are registered and inspected by the Health and Social Care Trusts (HSCTs). The relevant framework is the National Minimum Standards for Childminding and Day Care for Children Under Age 12, published by the Department of Health, covering safeguarding, child protection, health, and wellbeing.

The part nobody tells you about: frameworks change

Knowing which framework applies to you is only the first step. The harder part is keeping up with it.

The EYFS in England has been updated multiple times. Scotland's inspection and quality frameworks continue to evolve. Guidance is reviewed, requirements shift, and new versions are published. These changes are not always communicated directly to registered childminders. They appear on government websites. They surface in sector newsletters. They are discussed in online communities.

Most childminders find out about changes through other childminders, not through their regulator. That is a problem if you are the last to know, because an inspector will assess you against the current version of the framework, not the version you downloaded three years ago.

This is not about blame. It is about the reality of working as a solo practitioner without a compliance team behind you. Staying current takes time that most childminders simply do not have.

What good looks like

Knowing your framework means more than being able to name it. It means understanding which requirements are statutory, which are guidance, and how your day-to-day practice maps onto the relevant standards. It means reviewing your policies and documents when frameworks are updated, not just when an inspection is due. And it means being able to explain to an inspector how your practice reflects the framework, in your own words.