**Change to ratios**

In the revised EYFS released on Monday the changes to the Statutory Framework mean that childminders who care for (or have their own children) in reception class will have to count them as an under 5 until September 2009, unless they apply & receive a variation. I have confirmed with Ofsted that this is there intention and it not just a badly worded paragraph.

EYFS Statutory Framework page 51:
Each childminder may care for:
"a maximum of six children under the age of eight; of these six children, a maximum of three may be young children, however
where four- and five-year-old children only attend the childminding setting before and/or after a normal school
day, they may be classed as children over the age of five for the purposes of the adult:child ratio;

http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/_doc/12...May%202008.pdf

This will make it very hard for parents to find a childminder for a reception aged child as they will have to keep an under 5's place open all term. Also, childminders whose own children are starting in the reception class this September will not be able to offer a place to another child until Sept 09.

If enough people complain maybe they will change this.
info@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk