Install Findmino as an app for the best experience!
(Home Childcarer, Family Day Carer, Child Care Worker, Nanny)
Education & Training
Salary
€18,000 - €32,000/yr
Level
Operational
Outlook
Stable
Sector
Education & Training
As a Childminder you care for children in your own home while their parents or guardians are at work or otherwise unavailable. Your day involves supervising play, preparing meals and snacks, assisting with basic personal hygiene, and supporting children's early development through age-appropriate activities. You maintain regular, open communication with parents about their child's wellbeing, routine, and any concerns that arise. You may care for children of varying ages simultaneously, adapting your approach to meet each child's individual needs. Childminders work closely with parents, Tusla (the Child and Family Agency), and sometimes other early years professionals.
Listen: a day as a Childminder
Your alarm goes off at 7:15 a.m. You have half an hour before the first child arrives, so you use the time to tidy the play area, check your daily log book, and make sure the stair gate and socket covers are all in place. Childminders in Ireland are required to notify Tusla if they mind more than three pre-school children from different families, and you keep your Tusla notification paperwork filed and up to date in a folder in the kitchen. By 8:00 a.m. Ciarán, aged two, arrives with his mum. She mentions he had a unsettled night, so you make a quick note in his individual record sheet. Fifteen minutes later, five-year-old Aoife and her seven-year-old brother Darragh are dropped off on their way to school — you walk Darragh the short distance to the local primary school at 8:40 a.m., buggy in hand with the younger two.
There is no single mandatory qualification to become a Childminder in Ireland, but Tusla registration is required if you mind more than three children from different families, and all childminders are subject to Garda vetting under the National Vetting Bureau Acts. A QQI Level 5 Certificate in Childcare or Early Childhood Care and Education (available through PLC courses at Colleges of Further Education and ETBs) is strongly recommended and increasingly expected by parents and Tusla. First aid training, such as a Paediatric First Aid certificate, is considered essential in practice. Some childminders complete a QQI Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Early Childhood Care and Education to broaden their knowledge and improve their employability. Relevant Leaving Certificate subjects such as Home Economics, Biology, and SPHE provide a useful foundation, though the Leaving Certificate itself is not a formal entry requirement for Level 5 PLC courses.
Most childminders begin by caring for a small number of children in their own home, often building a client base through word of mouth and local community networks. With experience and further qualifications such as a QQI Level 6 award, you may take on more children (subject to Tusla registration limits) or transition into a role in a crèche, Montessori, or early years setting. Some experienced childminders go on to establish their own registered childcare service or move into roles such as Early Years Educator or Special Needs Assistant (SNA) in a school setting. Continuing professional development through Tusla-supported training programmes and organisations such as Childminding Ireland can further strengthen your practice and career opportunities.
Artificial intelligence has limited direct impact on the day-to-day work of a childminder, as the role is fundamentally built on human presence, physical care, and emotional connection with young children. Administrative tasks such as tracking attendance, managing invoices, and communicating with parents may be supported by simple digital tools and apps. AI-powered educational apps and interactive toys may supplement play and learning activities, but cannot replace the guided, responsive interaction that a skilled childminder provides. The relational and safeguarding dimensions of the role ensure that human judgement remains central and irreplaceable.
→ Childminder (Current role)
Organisations in Ireland that employ people in this occupation.
Nationwide
Registers and supports childminders operating in home settings.
Nationwide
National network supporting and representing registered childminders.
Dublin City
Supports childminders with training, advice, and NCS scheme access.
Galway City
Mentors and registers childminders providing home-based childcare.
Tralee, Co. Kerry
Supports rural childminders with development and subsidy programmes.
Cork City
Registers childminders and facilitates access to National Childcare Scheme.
Swords, Co. Dublin
Provides training and support to home-based childminders in Fingal.
Limerick City
Mentors childminders and links them to NCS funding supports.
Nationwide
Delivers training programmes supporting childminders' professional development.
Dublin, Nationwide
Advocates for and trains childminders across the early childhood sector.
Nationwide
Funds QQI childcare courses enabling childminders to gain qualifications.
We don't know whether these employers currently have vacancies — always check their own website. And if there's somewhere you'd really love to work, it can be worth applying anyway, even without an open vacancy.
Our tools can help you with that:
We use functional cookies and — with your consent — cookies for preferences, statistics and marketing.