UK Childminder Awards | Not Just a Childminder
Launching 2027 · All UK Nations

Celebrating every childminder who goes above and beyond.

The first truly inclusive UK-wide awards for registered childminders. Free to enter, free for finalists to attend, open to all four nations, no membership required.

Register Your Interest See the Categories
10
Award Categories
7
Regional Finals
£0
Cost to enter. Finalists attend free.
4
Nations: England, Scotland, Wales & N. Ireland

No Membership Required

You don’t need to belong to any organisation, association or paid scheme to enter. Open to all registered childminders.

Criteria-Based Judging

No public voting. No popularity contest. Applications are scored by a panel against published criteria.

Free for Finalists

You and one guest attend the ceremony at no cost. The awards celebrate you, not your wallet.

Award Categories

10 ways to be recognised

Every category celebrates a different kind of excellence. Because childminding isn’t one thing.

Trailblazer Award

Recognising the childminder who is pushing boundaries, challenging perceptions and leading the way for the whole profession.

Innovation

Nature Champion Award

Celebrating a childminder whose practice is deeply rooted in outdoor learning, nature connection and the natural world.

Outdoors

Wellbeing Champion Award

For the childminder who prioritises emotional health for both the children in their care and their own sustainable practice.

Wellbeing

Creative Spark Award

Honouring exceptional creativity across art, music, drama, storytelling and imaginative play woven through daily practice.

Creativity

Community Connector Award

For the childminder who is the heartbeat of their local community, building bridges between families and the world around them.

Community

Inclusive Practice Award

Celebrating excellence in inclusion, supporting children with additional needs, diverse backgrounds and ensuring every child truly belongs.

Inclusion

New Childminder Award

For childminders in their first two years of registration, celebrating the courage, energy and fresh perspective they bring to the profession.

New Starters

Long Service Award

Recognising childminders with 15 or more years of dedicated service to children, families and the profession.

Longevity

Childminder Assistant Award

Honouring the assistants who work alongside registered childminders every day, bringing dedication, warmth and skill to the setting.

Assistants

Unsung Hero Award

For the partner, family member or supporter whose work behind the scenes keeps a childminding setting running. Because every great childminder has someone in their corner.

Support
How It Works

Simple. Fair. Transparent.

A clear, criteria-based process with no voting, no fees and a published rubric so you know exactly how you are being assessed.

1

Applications Open

Submit your application online. Free to enter. Choose your category and tell us about your practice.

2

Panel Shortlisting

An independent panel reviews all applications against published criteria. All entries are anonymised before scoring.

3

Regional Finals

Top applicants per region are invited to a finalist ceremony. You and one guest attend free at an Everyman Cinema.

4

National Final

Regional category winners come together for the national ceremony. The biggest night in childminding.

Built by a childminder, for childminders.

The UK Childminder Awards was created by Claire Hassall, a registered childminder and founder of Not Just a Childminder, after noticing a gap. Every existing award scheme has a catch: a membership requirement, a fee to attend, or coverage of only part of the UK. With over 25,000 registered childminders in England alone, and thousands more across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, this profession deserves its own stage.

This is different. Fully inclusive, all four nations, completely free for finalists. Funded entirely through sponsorship from companies that care about the childminding profession.

Not a popularity contest. A proper recognition of proper practice.

30,000+
Registered childminders across the UK
4
UK nations represented
7
Regional ceremonies
0
Membership barriers
Regional Finals

Coming to all four nations

Regional finals will be held across the UK in summer 2027, before the national final brings everyone together.

North of England

England

Midlands

England

South West

England

London & South East

England

Scotland

All regions

Wales

All regions

Northern Ireland

All regions

Entries Open 2027

Register Your Interest

Applications aren’t open yet. Register now and you’ll be the first to know when they are.

Sponsorship

Partner with the UK Childminder Awards

Reach 30,000+ registered childminders across all four UK nations through the most meaningful event in the sector. Three tiers. Choose the level that works for you.

FAQ

Questions answered

No. The UK Childminder Awards are open to any registered childminder in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. There is no membership, subscription or affiliation required.
Yes. Entering is free. If you are shortlisted as a finalist, attending your regional ceremony is free for you and one guest. The awards are funded through sponsorship specifically so that cost is never a barrier.
No public voting. Applications are assessed by an independent judging panel against published criteria. All applications are anonymised before scoring. We publish the rubric so you know exactly what the panel is looking for.
Applications are planned to open in early 2027. Register your interest above and you will be the first to know, along with all entry guidance and the judging rubric.
Regional finals will be held at Everyman Cinema venues across the UK, in seven regions covering all four nations. The national final venue will be announced in 2026.
Yes. You can submit separate applications for up to two categories, as long as each application speaks specifically to the criteria for that category.
Absolutely. The awards are designed to be UK-wide and fully inclusive. Each nation has its own regional final, and all four nations feed into the national final.
Anyone who provides regular, meaningful support to a registered childminder behind the scenes: a partner, spouse, parent, sibling, friend or family member. They don’t need to work in childcare themselves. Applications can be submitted by the childminder on behalf of their supporter.