Submission - Budget 2026-2029 Review - Jersey Association of Childcare Providers - 13 November 2025

Written submission – Review of the Proposed Budget 2026 – 2029 13th November 2025 – Jersey Association of Childcare Providers Dear Catherine,

I'm writing on behalf of the Jersey Association of Childcare Providers to thank you for asking for our views on the proposed nursery funding for 2–3-year-olds as part of the 2026–2029 budget. We are very grateful to be included in this consultation.

We believe the proposal is extremely positive and will be beneficial for parents across the island, We are also pleased that childminders have been included and that the proposed funding represents a fair and supportive offer. We are hopeful that this proposal will move forward and be approved, as it will provide valuable support to the families we work closely with.

However, we would like to highlight one concern. While this budget proposal would support families already using childminding services, it may not fully accommodate the increased demand that this offer could generate. Although a few childminder spaces are currently available, the number is not sufficient to meet the potential demand.

We had hoped that this funding initiative might also allow for a review of the current childminder ratios, which would make it possible for more families to benefit. For example, childminders are currently permitted to care for up to three children under school age (one of whom may be

under 12 months). In my own case, I am already at capacity with three under-school-age

children and therefore unable to take on additional funded children. Families seeking the

simple 15 hours space will face a barrier of not having the spaces available without a "top up on hours" being requested by bigger settings.

If ratios were adjusted to allow for one additional (4 spaces ) funded-only space, childminders could offer more flexibility for instance, splitting two 15-hour funded places across the week (e.g., one child Monday–Wednesday morning, another Wednesday afternoon–Friday). This would increase availability without compromising the quality of care or exceeding safe limits, And allow those families simply seeking to make use of the 15 hours to do a calm food shop, or improve their mental health by attending a gym which they couldn't be afforded due to childcare or financial limitations.

Allowing this flexibility, subject to appropriate criteria and quality assurance, could create at least to 80 additional childcare spaces across the island, directly supporting more families and strengthening our childcare sector, It would encourage more people to become childminders as the prospect of a strong need for business would be there. Where our numbers are fast shrinking as there is no room to grow our business and very limited by the government's ratios which many of us feel is wrong as self employed professionals.

Overall the offer/budget proposal is of benefit for the island and mostly for our island's children, Which is mainly why we do our role as Childminders. For the children.

Once again, we sincerely appreciate being included in this discussion. Please don't hesitate to get in touch if we can provide any further input or assistance.

Kind regards, Christina Jandron