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Childminder assistant
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Childminder assistant

A childminder assistant can be an employee or a volunteer in a paid or unpaid role who works with children under a registered childminder.

Registered childminders are childcare professionals who provide care and education for children up to the age of 12 years within domestic premises that is not the child’s own home for more than two hours per day for reward.

If you have a query about childcare and early years qualifications, email us at qualsandstandards@socialcare.wales. Please tell us the qualification title, where the qualification was obtained, the job role and the type of setting the role is for.

Last updated: 27 October 2025

To register as a childminder assistant

  • Required by National Minimum Standards

    • City and Guilds unit 326 - Introduction to home-based childcare

    or any of the qualifications at level 3 (or above) listed below will also be accepted:

  • Option 1

    • WJEC Level 2 Children's Care, Play, Learning and Development: Core

    and

    • City and Guilds Level 3 Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development: Practice

  • Option 2

    • WJEC Level 2 Children's Care, Play, Learning and Development: Core

    and

    • WJEC Level 3 Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development: Practice and Theory

  • Degrees

    • Aberystwyth University: BA Early Childhood Studies with Early Years Practitioner Status

    • Cardiff Metropolitan University: BA (Hons) Early years education and professional practice with EYPS

    • Glyndwr University: Fd Early Childhood Studies (EYPS)

    • Prifysgol Caerdydd: BA (Anrh) Addysg Gynnar ac Ymarferydd Proffesiynol gyda Statws Ymarferydd Blynyddoedd Cynnar (bi-lingual)

    • Prifysgol Cymru y Drindod Dewi Sant: BA Addysg a Gofal Blynyddoedd Cynnar: Statws Ymarferydd Blynyddoedd Cynnar (available through the medium of Welsh)

    • Swansea University: Early Childhood Studies with Early years practitioner

    • Swansea University: Early Childhood Studies With Early Years Practitioner Status with a Year Abroad

    • University of South Wales: BA Early Years Education and Practice (with Early Years Practitioner status)

    • University of South Wales: Fd Early Years Education and Practice (with Early Years Practitioner status)

    • University Trinity St Davids: BA Early Years Education and Care: Early Years Practitioner Status

    • University Trinity St David’s: HE Diploma Early Years Education and Care: Early Years Practitioner Status

Other accepted qualifications

  • Other qualifications that will be accepted for this job, if you don’t hold the current Welsh qualifications:

    The following qualifications are only accepted if they were awarded after 2011

    • Level 3 Diploma in Home based Child Care

    • Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Children’s Care, Learning and Development (Advanced Practice) Wales and Northern Ireland

    • Certificate in Childminding Practice

    • Diploma in Childminding Practice

    • Level 3 Diploma in Children’s Care, Learning and Development (Wales and Northern Ireland)

    • CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Child Care and Education

    • CACHE Extended Diploma in Children’s Care, Learning and Development

    • Cardiff Metropolitan University: BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies with Early Years Practice Status (EYPS) (only if awarded prior to December 2022)

Other requirements

The assistant must have undertaken training in paediatric first aid and hold a relevant paediatric first aid certificate appropriate for the age of the child(ren) being cared for.

The paediatric first aid certificate should be up to date and renewed every three years.

The assistant must have completed child protection/safeguarding training and must be able to put the child protection/ safeguarding policy into practice and implement the procedures.

This includes awareness of safeguarding and child protection issues, including physical abuse, neglect, emotional abuse and sexual abuse. The assistant must be aware of their responsibility to report concerns according to the Wales Safeguarding Procedures without delay.

Qualifications gained outside of Wales

The following information applies if:

  • you are working, or would like to work, as an early years and childcare practitioner in Wales and
  • have a relevant qualification (from the UK or overseas) that isn’t listed on the qualification framework or the precedence list.


Qualifications gained in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and England


Qualifications achieved before December 2026

If you are a worker moving to Wales and hold a qualification (achieved prior to Dec 2026. The date of achievement can be found on your certificate) which is recognised by Skills for Care (England), the Northern Ireland Social Care Council or Scottish Social Service Council you should complete aspects of the All Wales induction framework for early years and childcare that are relevant to your role and the setting.

QEA Process from January 2027

If you are a worker moving to Wales and hold a qualification in England, Northern Ireland or Scotland, you will need to check the precedence list to see if your qualification is accepted or not in Wales.

If the qualification is not already on the precedence list, you will need to request to have your qualification assessed through the Qualification Equivalency Assessment (QEA) process. You can find out more about this process on the qualification equivalency assessment webpage.


International qualifications

If you are a worker moving to Wales and hold an international qualification you will need to check the precedence list to see if your qualification is accepted or not in Wales.

If the qualification is not already on the precedence list, you will need to request to have your qualification assessed through the Qualification Equivalency Assessment (QEA) process. You can find out more about this process on the qualification equivalency assessment webpage.

Induction requirements

Practitioners who are new to the early years and childcare sector or new to an organisation should complete the All Wales Induction Framework for Early Years and Childcare.