Northern Ireland Health Minister has approved changes to some
key areas of childcare regulation following a public
consultation.
These relate to the Health & Social Care Trusts' requirement
for all prospective childcare workers to provide a GP
countersigned health assessment prior to commencing work with
children, and the adult:child ratios currently in place for
childminding settings and group day care.
The Minister said:
Maintaining the high level of safety and quality within our
childcare sector is of paramount importance, while at the same
time supporting providers with the challenges they face
I am committed to improving the childcare experience for all
stakeholders – providers, staff, parents and carers. The changes
outlined below will, I hope, provide some stability and certainty
to the sector
GP input to the childcare vetting process:
The Minister has asked HSC Trusts to limit the requirement for
health declarations to be countersigned by GPs to those occupying
the most senior positions within childminding and day care, such
as a childminder, a person in charge of a day care setting, or
assistant to the person in charge. A clear majority of
respondents to the consultation agreed with this proposal.
The Minister said:
The consultation exercise confirmed that there have been
occasions when the HSC Trusts' policy of requiring GP
countersigned health declarations to be provided by all
prospective childcare workers had negatively affected recruitment
within the childcare sector, due in part to the challenges posed
by the numbers seeking GP assessments
Those individuals for whom a GP declaration is not required will
be managed and supervised by at least one other person within the
setting. This provides opportunities for any issues of concern in
relation to an individual's mental or physical health, which are
not disclosed on their health assessment, to be identified and
acted upon
Adult: Child ratios – Childminding:
From 1 June 2026 a single childminder will be permitted to:
- care for a maximum of two children under 18 months (rather
than the current limit of one child under 12 months);
- care for no more than three children under compulsory
school-age, or four where two or more of the children being
minded together are siblings and at least one of them is under
school-age, in which case the maximum number of under school-age
children is four; and
- care for up to eight children under 12, including their own
children (no more than six children under age eight).
Adult: Child ratios – Group Day Care:
The ratios which had been in place since October 2021 as a result
of the Covid pandemic will now remain in place permanently.
These are:
- for children aged under two, the maximum number of children
per adult is three;
- for children aged two, the maximum number of children per
adult is five;
- for children aged three, the maximum number of children per
adult is eight; and
- for children aged over four, the maximum number of children
per adult is 10.
At least two members of staff must be on duty in each room within
a setting at all times.
Minister Nesbitt added:
I would like to thank all those interested parties and
individuals who took part in the consultation. My officials will
be making contact with a range of stakeholders, including HSC
Trusts, childcare providers, parents and staff, to seek their
feedback on the wider Minimum Standards.
Any further proposed changes to the Minimum Standards will be
made in the context of my overall priority of ensuring childcare
remains a safe and high quality experience for all children
Notes to editors:
- Some 495 responses were received from a wide range of
organisations and individuals to the consultation, which ran from
March 2025 until June 2025. The Department's response to the
consultation can be read here.
- During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Department introduced
changes to the staff to child ratios for full day care in respect
of two-year old children (from 1:4 to 1:5) and children aged 4-12
(from 1:8 to 1:10). In October 2021, it was agreed to retain the
new ratios until the wider review of Minimum Standards was
undertaken.
