What type of care is considered outside formal care categories?

Childminding refers to a form of childcare that takes place outside formal settings and is often more informal in nature. It involves a childminder caring for children in their own home or sometimes in the children's homes, providing a personalized and flexible approach to childcare. This type of care does not fall into the regulated categories that oversee larger institutions like children’s homes, fostering, or adoption, which are typically subject to strict government guidelines and licensing requirements.

In contrast, children’s homes, fostering, and adoption are all formalized categories of care that are regulated by the government. Children’s homes are residential facilities designed for kids who may not be able to live with their families. Fostering involves placing children in temporary family settings under the supervision of local authorities, while adoption is the permanent legal transfer of parental rights from biological parents to adoptive parents. Each of these categories has specific criteria, legal structures, and professional oversight, distinguishing them from the informal nature of childminding.