Register a Childcare and Play service

Not all providers offering childcare, play and activities for children must register with CIW. The Child Minding and Day Care Exceptions (Wales) Order (External link) 2010 identifies circumstances where registration is not required.

Whether you need to register depends on factors such as:

• the type of provision
• operating hours
• relationship to the child
• where care is taking place
• the age of the children

You will need to register if you are providing:

• full day care, including day nurseries
• out of school care
• sessional day care, such as playgroups
• crèches
• open access provision
• childminding services

Please read Registering as a childcare provider: exceptions (External link)  on the Welsh Government website to see if you are eligible to register with CIW.

For further details about who needs to register and the registration process, read our guide to registration.

Before starting the registration process, you should consider the steps below based on the type of service you plan to offer.

Day care and play services

• Contact your local family information service
• Contact the relevant supporting organisation from the list below to enquire about setting up a childcare and play service:
  • Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Clubs (External link)
  • Early Years Wales (External link)
  • Mudiad Meithrin (External link)
  • Play Wales (External link)
  • National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) (External link)

Qualifications and training (day care and play services)

The full list of qualifications and training units you must evidence as part of your application to register is available from:

• Social Care Wales website (External link)
• Play Wales (External link)

Childminders

If you are considering becoming a registered childminder, additional support and guidance is available. You can follow Coram PACEY Cymru’s Steps to Registration [External link] for a full overview of the process.

As a first step, you should attend a briefing session. These are usually arranged by your local family information service or Coram PACEY Cymru.

To apply to become a registered childminder, you must:

• be at least 16 years of age
• have the right to work in the UK
• be allowed to work with children

Qualifications and training (Childminders)

To register as a childminder, you must either hold a relevant qualification or complete both of the following training units:

• Introduction to home-based childcare (Unit 326)
• Preparing for childminding practice (Unit 327)

You can check whether your existing qualification meets the requirements, or find more information about these training units, by visiting the Social Care Wales qualification framework for childminders webpage.

You’ll also need mandatory training in:

• Paediatric first aid
• Safeguarding
• Food hygiene

Contact your local authority family information service (External link) or Coram PACEY Cymru (External link) for information about the training and support available in your area.

To register a service with CIW, you must submit an application using CIW Online.

The application assessment can take up to 3 months. During this time, we will:

• assess your documentation
• undertake a fit person assessment and interview
• visit your home or premises to carry out a check of the environment

If your application is successful, you will receive a registration certificate and can begin operating as a registered childminder.

All registered services must comply with the Child Minding and Day Care (Wales) Regulations 2010, as amended in 2016, and meet the National Minimum Standards for regulated childcare.

Statement of purpose

You must submit a Statement of Purpose as part of your application. You can use the template in our Guide to Compiling a Statement of Purpose or use your own, alternative format, as long as it meets the requirements of the Child Minding and Day Care (Wales) Regulations 2010 and includes all points under National Minimum Standard 1.2.

Here are some helpful resources to support you through the process.

Coram PACEY Cymru

• What do childminders do? (External link)
• Best thing about becoming a childminder (External link)
• Coram PACEY Cymru webinars (External link)
• Coram PACEY Cymru training (External link)

WeCare Wales

• Childminder job role (External link)
• A childminder’s experience (External link)

Welsh Government

• Local authority family information service  (External link)

Business Wales

• Self-employment guidance (External link)
• Business Online Support Service (BOSS) (External link)

His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC)

• Tax-free childcare  (External link)