Becoming a childminder: Training & requirements
Child day care is an important pillar of childcare. More and more parents are opting for this individual form of childcare, and many people are building a career with it. Read about the advantages of child day care and what you need to become a childminder.
Read more in this article:
- What is child day care?
- What areas are there in child day care?
- How old are the children in day care?
- Why is child day care becoming increasingly popular?
- What are the advantages of child day care?
- Who can become a childminder?
- How do I become a childminder?
- Financial aspects and funding opportunities
- What is important for working as a day carer?
- How many children may a childminder look after?
- What activities are possible with children up to the age of 3?
- Example of a daily routine with children between 0 and 3 years old
- How does the pme Familienservice promote the quality of child day care?
- What service does the pme Familienservice offer for day carers
More and more children are being looked after as part of child day care. Most of these are children aged 1-3 years, but younger and older children also find a place in day care, e.g. in afternoon care after school.
What is child day care?
In daycare, a childminder looks after up to five children in their own home or apartment. In addition, so-called large-scale day care is becoming increasingly popular. Here, two to three caregivers look after 10 to 15 children, usually in rented rooms. Day carers are predominantly self-employed and pay their own social security contributions and taxes. They receive childcare allowance from the youth welfare office or from the parents of the children in their care.
On May 16 and 17, 2025 Online
With a colorful mixture of professional impulses, exchange in exciting workshops as well as movement and mindfulness exercises, our congress for child day care is the highlight of the year for every child day care provider.
Look forward to a live online event with exciting presentations and inspiring workshops!
What areas are there in child day care?
The 4 major areas are:
- Child day care in your own household (usually self-employed).
- Child day care in the parents' household (usually employed).
- Child day care in rented rooms (employed or self-employed).
- Large-scale day care (association of several day carers, employed or self-employed).
How old are the children in day care?
Day care is mainly used for children aged between zero and three. However, it is also possible to care for older children, for example pre-school children or schoolchildren in the afternoon.
Why is child day care becoming increasingly popular?
One of the reasons why daycare is so popular, especially for young children, is the small groups. "Everything is manageable and the childminder can respond to each child individually," says Lena Kolits, product manager for child day care at pme Familienservice.
A regulated daily routine with time to play, rest periods and shared meals serves as a guide for the children and gives them a sense of security. "Of course, there is also plenty of exercise in the fresh air. And there are many educational activities such as early musical education, nature education, research and experimentation and movement education," says Lena Kolits.
Daycare is the ideal area of employment for more and more childcare professionals. "Increasingly, educational professionals such as nursery teachers are also opting for daycare," says Lena Kolits. "Large-scale daycare, where you can work in a team, is particularly popular."
What are the advantages of child day care?
- Many parents experience day care as the more flexible form of childcare - as the childminders are generally (more than 90%) self-employed and often offer flexible childcare times.
- Child day care is perceived as very familiar.
- A day carer looks after a maximum of 5 children at the same time, the reference group is smaller than in most childcare centers.
- Do you want something "bigger"? Then large-scale daycare could be the right choice. Here, two childminders join forces in rented rooms and look after up to 9 children together (with a permanent caregiver).
- As daycare is on an equal footing with childcare at childcare centers , the state is also responsible in this area and there are already many well-functioning replacement systems in the event of illness or vacation.
In principle, families have a statutory right to choose between childcare center and child daycare.
Who can become a childminder?
In principle, anyone can become a childminder. However, there are some (also personal) requirements that need to be fulfilled or considered:
- You should enjoy being with children and be able to adapt well to their environment.
- You should be able to look after one or more children at set times over several years.
- You should be able to offer the children a regular daily routine and be prepared to accept restrictions in your personal life if necessary.
- They should know about the individual developmental stages of children (physical and personal, such as the defiant phase) and be able to go through these with a child who is not their own.
- For care in your own home: Your home should be furnished in a child-friendly way .
- There should be enough space for the daycare child (play corner, sleeping and retreat area, space to eat) and there should be an opportunity to play outside nearby.
- You should be satisfied with your life situation and actively and positively shape your life.
Requirements and qualifications: How do I become a childminder?
Requirements and qualifications: How do I become a childminder?
The local youth welfare office - or an advice center commissioned by the youth welfare office - should be one of your first points of contact if you would like to work in daycare. What the youth welfare office can do for you or require of you varies greatly and depends on the guidelines of the individual federal states and local authorities.
As a rule, the youth welfare offices are responsible for issuing care permits, carry out qualification measures, place childminders in families and often also act as a mediator between families and childminders.
To become a childminder, you need a pedagogical qualification. You can acquire this through a child day care course offered by youth welfare offices or other providers. In this course, you will learn everything about the development and care of children. You will also need an extended certificate of good conduct and a first aid course specifically for children. It is also important that your home is child-friendly and safe, which will be checked by the youth welfare office. If these requirements are met, you can apply for a care permit from the Youth Welfare Office. As soon as you have this in your hands, your day care center can get started.
Important questions for your appointment with the youth welfare office
- What requirements do I have to meet to obtain a care permit?
- How many daycare children am I allowed to take in with such a care permit?
- What qualification do I have to prove, is there a specified number of hours?
- Which qualifications are offered and recognized by the youth welfare office?
- What is the hourly rate or monthly flat rate for childcare?
- Which insurances do I have to take out for myself (liability insurance, accident insurance, liability insurance, health insurance, pension insurance)? For which of these insurances will I be fully or partially reimbursed?
- Do I have to take out insurance for the daycare children? Who pays for this insurance?
- Can I take in a day child without being placed by the youth welfare office? Will I receive full or partial reimbursement of accident, pension and health insurance contributions?
- In what form do I have to document the development of the day-care children and who is allowed to view this documentation?
- What does the protection mandate § 8a SGB VIII mean for my work?
- Will I be accompanied by the youth welfare office during my work, will there be regular communication?
- Who will stand in for me in the event of vacation, illness or other emergency situations?
Financial aspects and funding opportunities
If you have a childcare permit as a childminder, you will generally receive
funding from the city or local authority. This means that you will receive an hourly rate per child cared for.
In addition, there are different local subsidy rates for premises, preparation and follow-up time as well as for cover through half reimbursement of health and pension insurance. Furthermore, childminders often receive subsidies for accident and liability insurance.
The exact funding rates and conditions may vary depending on the local authority. We recommend that you obtain information from the relevant youth welfare offices or youth welfare organizations.
What is important for working as a day carer?
Safe environment, needs-oriented activities
First of all, it is important that you create a loving and safe environment in which the children feel comfortable and can develop. A structured daily schedule with balanced periods of rest and activity helps the children to find their bearings and promotes their development. Be creative in your play and learning activities and respond to the individual needs of each child.
Individual attention for every child
Empathy is what counts with children. Every child is unique and needs individual attention. Patience and consistency in care are equally important in order to show the children boundaries and at the same time offer them enough freedom for their development.
Communication with parents
Good communication with parents is also important. 3 tips to promote a cooperative relationship with parents:
- Be open to short conversations at drop-off and pick-up times (door-to-door conversations)
- Keep parents regularly informed about the child's day and developmental progress
- Listen to parents and take their concerns and wishes seriously
How many children may a childminder look after?
A childminder may look after a maximum of five children. In some federal states, however, you can also look after more children together with other childminders in a so-called large daycare center.
What activities are possible with children up to the age of 3?
A wide range of exciting activities are possible with daycare children between the ages of 0 and 3:
Sensory experiences: Touching, feeling, smelling and tasting - whether with sand, water or different textures, sensory experiences promote development.
Music and dance: Singing, dancing and trying out musical instruments is fun and supports motor and language development.
Creative design: Painting with finger paints, kneading or crafting - creative activities promote fine motor skills and imagination.
Movement games: Crawling, running, climbing and jumping - movement is important for physical development and is great fun for little ones.
Reading aloud and telling stories: Looking at picture books and listening to stories promotes language development and concentration.
Example of a daily routine with children between 0 and 3 years old
A varied daily routine for children between the ages of 0 and 3 could look like this:
- Arrival and welcome
- Morning circle
- Breakfast together
- Free play time/ creative activities/ movement games
- Lunch
- Midday rest
- Sensory experiences/ music/ exploring nature
- Snack time
- Pick-up time
This exemplary daily routine offers the little ones a good mix of structure and freedom to feel comfortable and develop in an age-appropriate way.
How does the pme Familienservice promote the quality of child day care?
Day care is an important pillar of childcare. At pme Familienservice , we have been campaigning for many years to make working in child day care a recognized profession and to create the same conditions for childminders as for educational professionals at childcare centers .
This includes performance-related pay as well as substitution arrangements during vacations and illness. Another goal is the state recognition of the profession of childminder.
What service does the pme Familienservice offer for day carers?
Throughout the year, we offer our caregivers further training on all important topics and support them with a wide range of information and personal advice.
Are you a childminder and would like to be included in our placement pool? Register now free of charge and without obligation at www.betreuungs.services
You can also use our contact form for personal advice from the pme Familienservice consultants.
