AQW 46190/22-27

Mrs Michelle Guy
Alliance Party
Lagan Valley

Tabled Date: 13/05/2026
Answered On Date: 17/06/2026
Priority Written: Yes

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health, in relation to the changes to the Minimum Standards for Childminding and Day Care for Children Under Age 12, to detail (i) any modelling that was carried out to examine the impact on childminders and children; and (ii) whether a Quality Impact Assessment was carried out.

Answer:

The changes which I announced on April 5th were based on a comparison of the position in neighbouring jurisdictions and an analysis of the 495 responses to a public consultation exercise carried out in 2025. The consultation analysis is available at https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/news/minister-announces-changes-areas-childcare-regulation.

The impact of these changes will be monitored by HSC Trusts through annual inspections.