Over £1000 in grants available for Hackney childminders
New childminders in Hackney can now access over £1,000 to help cover the costs of registration, training, toys and equipment. It is hoped the grant will encourage more people to think about becoming a childminder and increase high quality childcare in the borough.
In April 2017 the Council launched the Mayor’s childminder bursary, which more than doubled the £500 available from the Government’s Childcare Business Grant with an additional £585 from the Mayor’s bursary. This is in addition to the support and training childminders can access through Hackney’s childminder team.
Since the bursary’s launch earlier this year there has been an increase of 21 childminders, with an additional nine awaiting final registration, which is set to bring up the number of childminders in the borough up to 191.
The borough’s newly qualified childminders were given certificates and awarded funds from the Mayor’s Bursary at a ceremony at the Linden Children’s Centre on Thursday 30 November, attended by the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Hackney.
Magdalena Holewa-Kantowiz from Homerton said: “I have had fantastic support along the process from the Council, receiving the bursary will help me purchase better equipment and resources for the children.”
As part of my manifesto I recognised the need for more high quality childminders in the borough, I was pleased to see the bursary start and meet some of the new childminders who have benefited. Childminders provide a home from home environment for our youngest children, where they can strive through high quality learning experiences. As the number of childminder places across the country has been decreasing we want to support more people to become childminders and provide parents with an increased number of flexible and high quality childcare places.
To find out more about the Mayor’s bursary and becoming a childminder in Hackney you can contact the Council on 020 8820 7502, email: childminding@learningtrust.co.uk or visit the Learning Trust website.