Ministers celebrate training of 146 new childminders

Ministers celebrate training of 146 new childminders

Date published: 11 June 2025

The training was provided through the Department for Communities' Labour Market Partnerships (LMP) with funding of over £300,000 allocated by the Department of Education from Executive Early Learning and Childcare funding.

During the event at Belfast City Hall, the Ministers heard about the benefits of the programme from participants, Labour Market Partnership representatives and a range of practitioners from the childminding sector.

Education Minister Paul Givan, said:

"Delivering accessible and high-quality early learning and childcare is one of the Executive's key priorities and an area where real progress has already been made. The 146 new childminders trained through this scheme will add capacity and diversity to this essential service.

"Registered childminders provide professional care in a nurturing home-from-home experience. Today's event is an excellent opportunity to celebrate the contribution they make to the sector and to the lives of the children they care for. I have secured a further £55m Executive funding for Early Learning and Childcare for 2025/26 to include funding to train additional childminders, demonstrating my ongoing commitment to providing affordable childcare."

Communities Minister, Gordon Lyons:

"My Department's involvement in delivering this important initiative through our Labour Market Partnerships demonstrates a truly collaborative approach. Funding from the Department of Education has enabled the expansion of the Childminding Academy model across Northern Ireland.

"Childminders make a valuable contribution to enabling parents and carers to move in to or remain in work."

Training was delivered by the Northern Ireland Childminding Association (NICMA) and was aimed at people not currently working in the sector to encourage new childminders into the workforce.

LMP academies ensured participants acquired the necessary training and qualifications to become registered childminders and also provided support to help set up new childminding businesses.

The event celebrated the successes of LMPs-led training. Delivery included mainstream childminding academies as well as culturally appropriate childminding academies aimed at encouraging participation from the Irish medium, Ukrainian, Bengali, Polish and Arabic traditions.