Hundreds of registered childminders across Northern Ireland are leaving the profession as it is no longer financially viable.

11 registered childminders left the childcare industry in Fermanagh between April 2021 and April 2023 according to statistics from Family Support NI.

Registered childminder (RCM), Victoria Atwell says that the sector needs more flexibility for both parents and RCMs.

Along with her husband, Cyril, Mrs. Atwell has been a RCM for 24 years, and her husband for 16 years, and she says that RCMs can feel “forgotten about”.

“In 2021, there was a mapping of childminders in Northern Ireland and there were 2,330 childminders and now, we are down to 1,966 in 2023, so we have lost 364 childminders in Northern Ireland."

These figures were also provided by Family Support NI.

“At the moment it is not financially viable for a childminder due to our ratios. Many childminders are now in a deficit after their last tax return.”

Currently, as a sole childminder, she can have three children under school age and three children above school age as part of her ratio per child.

“During the morning we have two here and the rest are in the school, but we can’t take any more children on. There is no flexibility for registered childminders in Northern Ireland.

She explained that RCM in England and other parts of the UK can do a risk assessment on their numbers to allow for different children to come in at different times or days.

“If they change the ratio to four [children under primary school age] that would benefit a huge amount of RCM and it would benefit parents."

RCM services can sometimes be cheaper than other childcare providers meaning there is a demand, Mrs. Atwell says just this week she has had to turn away three families from her services.

She stated: “We are constantly turning parents away at the door.”

And Mrs. Atwell also has concerns about unregistered childminders in Fermanagh: “Now from the end of April to the beginning of May, you will see people popping up on Facebook advertising illegal childcare for the school holidays.

“This is not just illegal, it's a safeguarding issue. These unregistered childcare providers are not police checked, they have no insurance, they do not avail of training.”

Calling for issues within the sector to be addressed, Mrs. Atwell concluded: “One big issue is the lack of funding for our sector here in Northern Ireland, this needs to be carefully thought out, we don't need to be making the same mistakes as England.”

The Impartial Reporter has been investigating the price of parenthood focusing on the experiences of parents and childcare providers. As part of this coverage, this newspaper has launched a petition to be sent to Education Minister Paul Givan calling for the urgent development and publication of the Early Learning and Childcare Strategy.

Sign the petition here: https://tinyurl.com/4k46tz48