Hi i have been a childminder for over 30years and was one of the first childminders in Kent to be trained to deliver the Nursery Education. We have recently been told that we are now unable to offer this service to any of our relatives. In my case this predominantly means my grandchildren, but it could just as easily mean my cousins children, or my nieces children etc. etc.

I have been in touch with Kent County Council Education department who have said that its all due to Section20 of the Childcare act 2006 where it states that childcare does not include care provided by a parent, step parent, a person with parental responsibility for the chidl or a relative of the child. This is very clear in the way it is written but my beef is with the fact that although it is clear it does not mean that it is right or fair.

My understanding is that parents have a right to choose their nursery education provider and in one fail swoop they are being denied this right.

I am now in contact with Mr Goves office regarding this and have writen a letter of complaint to his office.

Is there anybody else out there that think this is unfair or that the new guidlines are affecting them? It would be good if there was some support from somewhere.

Thanks. Anne

I think that if the child had a different surname to mine then I would pretend that we weren't related - I look after my one year old grandson, he has different surname, I think that if he is here when I have my inspection I shall just let Ofsted assume he is a mindee - I do exactly the same paperwork for him (only difference is his parents don't pay me - but it's only one day a week - I couldn't do it if he was full time).

I hope you get a satisfactory answer as I was speaking to a childminder today who said that one of her mindees is about to start the Nursery that her grandmother owns - surely this should be the same rules!