However, many registered childminders cannot participate – only those who are specially accredited and on an approved childminding network, so choose your childminder with this in mind or be prepared to move your child to a participating nursery later.
In narrowly political terms, it also fits well with Clegg's late but welcome brake on the move to increase the number of children a childminder can look after.
Brown, wedded to the pleasures of narrative, wrote detailed backstories for each of his people: the pot boy, he explained, may well be wishing that leafleting do-gooder would listen to his opinion for a change, while the girl turned thuggish childminder is coping with an alcoholic father who will soon be up before the bench.
The idea of the nuclear family, with the breadwinner father out at work and the housekeeper and childminder mother at home, is neither as old nor as obvious as it seems.
Yet care in centres is typically dearer than care in the home of a babysitter or a childminder— and much dearer in the case of babies.
The role of childminder isn't a glamorous one but it has many advantages: it promotes patience and makes individuals more aware".
But that's OK, it's not like you'll be doing anything else all day, like actually looking for a job or caring for your children because you can't afford a childminder.
Ofsted says it is still considering plans for inspection of childminder agencies, and is not yet making proposals about early re-inspection of childminders.
Godfrey H Holmes, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Let children get enough sleep Kate Hilpern's article about how lack of sleep can cause health problems (4 October) does not examine the effect of lack of sleep in children.As a childminder, I was concerned that children are far less likely to get their sleep quota than in the past.
In England, every three and four-year-old is eligible for at least 15 hours per week with a registered childcare provider, whether it's a playgroup, nursery or childminder.
"It is terrible it has taken seven years to get a possibility of justice," said Sana Abdelhafidh, 27, a childminder who was born on the estate.
