Early Years Register
Ofsted's register of providers who look after children from birth until the 1 September after their 5th birthday
By The Toddly editorial team · Last updated 11 November 2026
Anyone in England who cares for children aged 0 to 5 for more than two hours a day, for payment, in a nursery, pre-school or as a childminder, must normally be on the Early Years Register (or registered with a childminder agency) and meet the EYFS requirements. Ofsted inspects providers on the register. Every registered setting has a unique reference number (URN), which you can use to look up its inspection history. A separate Childcare Register covers care for older children and some nannies.