Early Years Day Care Registration

The Northern Trust offers an online application service for persons who wish to apply to become an early years day care provider in the Northern Trust area.

There are three types of day care provider:

Childminder
A person who looks after one or more children under the age of twelve for more than two hours a day in a private house for reward.

Day care provider for under 12s
Persons running day care services, used by children aged under twelve and open for more than two hours a day. Day care services include facilities such as day nurseries, playgroups, out of school clubs, holiday schemes and crèches. Persons who run these services are required to register whether or not they receive payment.

Home carer
A home carer is a person aged 18 years or over who cares for the children (aged from birth to 17) in their own home: or for children of no more than two families, wholly or mainly at the home of one family at any one time. If a person cares for the children of three or more families at any one time, the law says they are no longer a home carer but a childminder.

The Minimum Standards for Childminding and Day Care for Children Under Age 12 were published by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety on 20 July 2012. These standards will apply to providers of full day care, pre-school sessional care, creches, out of school clubs and childminders.

The aim of this guidance is to assist people who wish to make an application to become an early years day care provider. Please read this information carefully before you proceed to use our online application service.