‘Childminder’ no longer accurate

The days of “childminders” are numbered. The National
Childminding Association (NCMA) has asked its members to vote on a
list of alternative names after the association’s national
executive committee questioned whether the word childminder
reflects the professionalised role such workers are increasingly
filling.

Among the alternative names are “home daycare provider”,
“professional child care practitioner” and “home childcarer”.

The NCMA says a factor in the move to change title is the media.
“Despite NCMA’s constant campaigning… journalists and
programme makers continue to use ‘childminder’ as a
catch-all term to describe all child carers including teenage
babysitters, au pairs and unqualified nannies.”

The new name will be chosen in November after a shortlist has
been drawn up through postal and e-mail consultation.