DATA-BACKED GUIDE · UPDATED JULY 2026
How much does a childminder cost per hour in the UK?
A registered childminder looks after children in their own home, usually alongside a small group of other kids, and bills by the hour rather than by the session. For babies and toddlers that hourly model often beats a nursery on price, and the setting feels more like a family home than an institution. This guide draws on what parents actually report paying, and sets out how the funded-hours schemes fit around it.
The quick version
- Childminders bill by the hour, so they suit odd days, early starts or short pickup-to-drop-off gaps that a nursery session structure doesn't.
- For under-twos a childminder is often the cheaper route compared with a nursery baby room, though the gap narrows once a child turns three.
- A registered childminder can deliver the 15 and 30 hour funded schemes exactly as a nursery does, so your entitlement isn't wasted by choosing one.
- Meals, nappies and outings are sometimes folded into the hourly rate and sometimes billed separately, so the headline number on its own doesn't tell you the weekly total.
- Minimum daily hours and holiday retainers are standard practice, not a red flag, but they change what you actually pay across a full month.
- The real prices on this page show how much two similar-looking hourly rates can diverge once extras and retainers are added in.
What people actually paid
Where these 11 prices come from — 4 named sources
Each is a published price list, an official survey, or a receipt/quote a reader shared. The full per-price list with year and area is on the childminder page.
The gap: advertised vs actually paid (medians)
People reported paying 24% less than the advertised list price for childminder.
List prices are advertised prices; paid figures are what people reported, often for different cases. Treat the gap as a signal, not a quote.
Real prices, in people's own words
- £4“I used to start from £4. Per hour”
- £5“I paid 4.50ph inc meals”
- £6“I paid £5.50 (Glasgow) per hour”
- £6“we pay £6/hour (went up from £5 about 1.5 years ago). Includes all food/snacks”
Genuine amounts posted publicly. We publish the price and the quote, never the person.
Why the price varies so much
Location does most of the work. London and the South East sit well above the rest of the country for childminder rates, in line with every other form of UK childcare, while rates in cheaper regions can be substantially lower for the same hours. Age matters too: a childminder looking after a baby has to keep a tighter ratio than one looking after a school-age child, and that extra care burden often shows up as a slightly higher hourly rate for the youngest children. What's included changes the picture again. One childminder might bundle meals, nappies and days out into the hourly figure, while another charges each of those on top, so two rates that look identical on paper can produce quite different totals once a week's worth of care is added up. Ownership matters less here than in settings with corporate chains behind them: childminders are self-employed, working from their own home under their own registration, so pricing tends to reflect one person's costs and local market rather than a group pricing strategy. That's also why rates can vary noticeably between two childminders on the same street, not just between regions.
How to pay less
- Use a childminder who is registered to deliver funded hours, and claim your 15 or 30 hour entitlement against them rather than paying full rate for hours you're entitled to free.
- Route the rest of the bill through a Tax-Free Childcare account so the government top-up applies to every pound you pay, not just part of it.
- Ask directly whether meals, nappies and outings sit inside the hourly rate before you compare two quotes, because a slightly higher all-in rate can work out cheaper than a lower rate plus extras.
- If you're on a lower income, check whether the Universal Credit childcare element applies to your household before ruling a childminder out on cost.
- Work out the weekly total for the exact hours and days you need rather than comparing headline hourly rates, since a childminder and a part-time nursery place can flip which is cheaper depending on your child's age.
- Ask upfront how sickness, holidays and bank holidays are billed, since a retainer or reduced rate on days your child isn't there can add a meaningful amount to what looks like a simple hourly price.
Common questions
Is a childminder cheaper than a nursery?
For the youngest children, often yes, because a childminder's hourly rate can undercut a nursery baby room where staffing ratios push costs up. As children reach three and four the gap narrows, and funded hours can make a nursery place very competitive on price. The only fair comparison is to work out both options against the actual hours and days you need, not the headline rate.
Can a childminder take my funded hours?
Yes, as long as they are registered to deliver them, which most established childminders are. They can offer the 15 and 30 funded hours in exactly the same way a nursery does, including the wider funding now extending to under-threes. Ask to see their registration status before you assume the hours will apply.
Do childminders charge when my child is off sick or on holiday?
Many do, either as a retainer or at a reduced rate, because they're holding your child's place open and turning away other families for it. Policies differ a lot from one childminder to another, so ask how sickness, your own holidays and bank holidays are billed before you sign a contract, not after.
What is the difference between a childminder and a nanny?
A childminder works from their own home and usually cares for a small group of children from several different families at once. A nanny works in your home and looks after only your children, often alongside other duties. A nanny typically costs more for that one-to-one attention, while a childminder can charge less because their costs are spread across multiple families.
Are meals and nappies included in a childminder's hourly rate?
It depends entirely on the individual childminder, and there's no standard answer across the UK. Some build food, nappies and outings into the hourly figure so the number you see is the number you pay. Others itemise them separately, which means a lower headline rate can end up costing more once the extras are added, so always ask for the full weekly cost rather than comparing hourly rates alone.
Is there a minimum number of hours I have to book?
Many childminders set a minimum daily or weekly booking rather than accepting single hours on demand, partly because they're planning their whole day's group around fixed children. This isn't unusual and doesn't mean you're being overcharged, but it does mean the flexible per-hour pricing only helps if your actual pattern of care fits within what they'll accept. Ask about minimums before you commit to a rate that looks attractive on its own.