Childcare providers

Types of childcare providers

There are a lot of difference childcare options and choosing the right child care provider for your child can be quite confusing. Childcare and early education is brilliant for children but it also gives parents/carers to flexibility to work or study.

Provider options

Someone who is self-employed and is based within their own home. They care for small groups of children and are inspected by Ofsted the same as any other childcare provider

Large group of children being cared for in a setting filled with learning and play for children aged 0 to 5

Based within a school and offers sessions for children aged 3 to 5 years in term time only

For children aged 2 to 5 years offering morning or afternoon sessions during term time only

Childcare available ‘out of school’ for before school, after school and during the school holidays

Usually based within the family home and are employed by the parents or carer

Search for a local provider

Existing childcare providers

The council’s Families First Information Service (FFIS) can promote your service to parents and carers online on the FFIS directory and over the dedicated helping for childcare information. The necessary checks will be carried out before adding information.

Become a childcare provider

Local authorities, like North East Lincolnshire Council, have a duty to make sure there’s enough childcare available for families who work, study, or are in training for employment. This applies to children from birth up to age 14, or up to age 18 if the child has a disability.

To do this, councils look at things like:

What is practical for the area
How many childcare places are available now and what types of childcare parents need
If there are enough qualified childcare professionals locally
The quality and capacity of existing registered providers, including their staff, premises, and funding

Councils should:

Encourage schools and childcare providers to offer care from 8am to 6pm and during school holidays
Remove barriers that stop providers rom growing or new providers from starting up
Support providers to run their business sustainably and direct them to help resources

Each year, North East Lincolnshire Council checks how many childcare places are available, how many are being used, and what will be needed in the future. This information is published in the Childcare sufficiency assessment 2025 (PDF, 5MB) .

If you are considering opening a new childcare service, or expanding an existing setting, please contact Corrinne Wilson by calling 01472 323093 or emailing [email protected].

You can find lots of useful information and support from these trusted organisations:

Offering funded places

If you’d like to offer early years funded places from 9 months to school age, you should read the GOV.UK – Early education and childcare statutory guidance before contacting the Early Years Entitlement Team to discuss the registration process.

Early years entitlement

The Children’s Act requires the council to improve outcomes for young children, to reduce inequalities and secure funded places for 2, 3 and 4 years old.

Key principles

North East Lincolnshire Council follows principles when planning and managing the delivery of the early years entitlement.

Ensure quality, equality and inclusion is at the centre of delivery and to improve the outcomes of children and in particular children living in areas of disadvantage.
The needs and best interests of children are paramount.
Continue to build upon the strong relationships with private, voluntary, independent and maintained sectors.
Support the development of flexible models of delivery, which are responsive to parental demands but also support childcare businesses and schools to deliver sustainable and cost effective services.
Managing the market, on a geographical basis and wherever practicable, ensuring that EYE places are available for every eligible child aged two, three and four whose parents want one.
Listen to parents about how they want to take up their funded entitlement.
Deliver the funded entitlement that reflects parental demand as much as possible and provide parents with choice about where and how they take up their funded entitlement.

Secure area for providers

Once you’re registered to provide funded early years places you can request a login to our secure providers page. You will have access to documents, receive regular updates, newsletters and details about deadlines for headcount submissions.