Ofsted regulates childcare standards. Find out how and which providers must be Ofsted-registered. Report a concern.
Most providers caring for children under 8 years old for more than 2 hours a day in England must register with Ofsted.
Childminders can choose to register with a childminder agency instead.
To register, providers need to be 18 or over and have the right to work in the UK.
It is a criminal offence for anyone to provide unregistered childcare, or on unapproved premises, if they're legally required to.
Ofsted is responsible for making sure that:
There are 2 Ofsted registers: the Early Years Register and the Childcare Register.
If a childcare provider is on either of these they must meet the standards set by Ofsted. When they register Ofsted will carry out a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) safety check.
If you're worried about any aspect of your child's care speak to the provider about it first.
If you're still not satisfied contact Ofsted and they'll investigate it further.
You can also complain to Ofsted if you have concerns about a provider that's not registered.