MINISTERS have urged landlords to rip up red tape preventing childminders from working in their rented homes.
The government wants to boost the number of professional carers as part of a major drive to get more parents back into work.
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Housing associations, developers and landlords have received official letters urging them to allow their properties to be used for childminding business purposes.
Rental tenancy agreements often prevent carers setting up shop due to landlords’ mortgage agreements, which include restrictions from the lender.
Education officials say the number of carers has more than halved over the past ten years.
Today Rishi Sunak said: “We want to make sure that we have more childminders.
“The number of childminders has decline by half over the past several years, we want to reverse that trend so we are making it easier for people to become childminders.
“We’re making it easier for them to register and making it more likely that housing providers, landlords, are supportive of people becoming childminders in those properties as well.
“So put all of that together, it means high quality, affordable childcare for more families.”
Families Minister Claire Coutinho urged landlords to ease restrictions on childminders in an effort to help local communities.
Brits who own their own home don’t face the same blocks on working if they want to look after youngsters.
The government wants to make childcare a focal point for voters at the next election and have promised to spend more than £8 billion to help mums and dads before the end of the decade.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has promised all under-fives thirty hours free childcare by 2025 to help deal with the huge expense.
Plans are in place for childminders being able to work together in groups of four and spend more time working outside their own home in community centres or village halls.
They will also soon launch a start-up grant worth £1,200 for all childminders who have joined the profession since the Budget earlier this year.
Ms Coutinho said: “Too often prospective childminders are having the door slammed in their faces because they face a blanket ban on working from home.
“However, parents tell us time and again how much they value the flexibility and quality that childminders bring so we are making sure that we are supporting the workforce to deliver what parents need.
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“To do this in the best possible way, we are addressing the challenges childminders face including loneliness, where they work, long registration times and local authority pay timetables.
“Through our support of the sector, we will deliver the flexible care that parents need.”
