Claire Coutinho is urging housing associations and landlords to remove clauses in leases that prevent childminders from working from home, in a bid to boost the numbers working in the profession.
The children and families minister also revealed the Government is to launch a consultation on reducing childminder Ofsted registration times to around 10 weeks, and making sure they are paid monthly by local authorities.
The measures are designed to reverse the decline in the number of childminders in England.
Coutinho has written to housing associations, developers and landlords to urge them to allow childminders to work in their rented or leasehold properties.
According to the minister, childminders who rent or own leasehold properties ‘too often face restrictive clauses in contracts which stop them from working in their homes – barriers that are unfair’.
