How to become a childminder?
Verified 20 October 2025 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
To become a licensed childminder and babysit, at home or in a Mam: titleContent, you must obtain an approval. This approval is issued by the department's services. It allows to check the skills of the childminder and the conditions of reception of children. We're taking a look at the regulations.
Step-by-step approach
The services of the department regularly organize information meetings on the job of childminder. The purpose of these meetings is, inter alia, to inform about the role and responsibilities of the childminder, the rights and obligations related to accreditation, to raise awareness of the needs of the child and relations with parents.
Before applying for certification, it is recommended that you attend one of these meetings so that you can learn more about the conditions of practice of the trade.
You must undergo a medical examination and have a medical certificate completed by your attending physician. The purpose of this certificate is to check whether your state of health allows you to welcome minors.
The medical certificate must be attached to the application for approval.
You can obtain a model medical certificate from the department where you reside.
The attestation of good repute is an official document that certifies that a person is not the subject ofno final conviction preventing him from practicing or intervening with minors.
The certificate shall state the absence or existence of a non-final conviction or a national automated criminal registry of perpetrators of sexual and violent offenses (Fiji).
This certificate must be attached to your application for approval.
The request for a certificate of good repute is made on the internet:
Request a certificate of good repute as a childminder
Warning
If you will exercise in the department of Rhône (69), you do not have to apply for a certificate of good repute. Your criminal history is checked by the department. They also check the criminal history of people over 13 years of age living in your home.
You must fill out a form, date it and sign it.
This form is available on the internet:
Application for approval of childminder or childminder
You must also attach certain documents. These documents differ depending on whether you carry out your activity at home or in a Mam: titleContent.
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
You work as a childminder at home
You must add to your file readable copies of the following documents:
- Medical certificate
- Identification (provide a copy of the front and back in the case of an identity card)
- Residence permit that authorizes you to pursue a professional activity (valid) if you are a national of a country outside the EUEuropean Union
- Proof of address in your name and/or in the name of your spouse, Civil partnership partner or common-law partner under 3 months.
You work in a nursery home (Mam)
You must add to your file readable copies of the following documents:
- Medical certificate
- Identification (provide a copy of the front and back in the case of an identity card)
- Residence permit that authorizes you to pursue a professional activity (valid) if you are a national of a country outside the EUEuropean Union
- Proof of address in your name and/or in the name of your spouse, CIVIL PARTNERSHIP partner or common-law partner under 3 months
- Certificate of insurance fire accident various risk of the Mam
- Authorization to open to the public by the mayor.
The address of the application varies depending on whether you are in Paris or in another municipality:
General case
You must fill out a form:
Application for approval of childminder or childminder
You must provide the supporting documents indicated in the form's leaflet.
The file can be submitted by hand or sent by registered letter with AR: titleContent with the services of your department.
In Paris
You must fill out a form:
Application for approval of childminder or childminder
You must provide the supporting documents indicated in the form's leaflet.
The file can be submitted by hand or sent by registered letter with AR: titleContent.
Who shall I contact
IMP and Families Planning Sub-Directorate
By mail
Accreditation center for childminders and family assistants
76 Rue de Reuilly
75570 PARIS CEDEX 12
On site
Accreditation center for childminders and family assistants
76 Rue de Reuilly
75012 PARIS
The services of the department regularly organize information meetings on the job of childminder.
Before applying for certification, it is recommended that you attend one of these meetings so that you can learn more about the conditions of practice of the trade.
The examination of the application shall consist of the following steps:
- Study of your application file
- Conducting one or more interviews
- Making one or more visits to your home.
The departments of the department use a criteria grid to verify that you meet the conditions for accreditation.
In the event of an incomplete file, the department may ask you to provide documents within 15 days.
The department's services have 3 months to process the application.
Approval may be accepted or refused.
In the absence of a reply at the end of the period, the approval shall be considered accepted.
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
Approval is accepted
The decision specifies the number of children that can be accommodated.
Approval is refused
You can challenge the decision and appeal.
The training has a total duration of 120 hours. A first part of 80 hours is required to start your activity. This training is free. It is organized and financed by the department's services.
It must be carried out within 6 months of receipt of the complete file of the application for approval.
This first training allows you to acquire the following knowledge and skills:
- Basic needs of the child
- Specificities of the job of childminder
- Role of the childminder and its positioning in early childhood care.
It is then subject to a prior learning assessment. If the results of this assessment are satisfactory, a certificate of validation of the acquired knowledge is issued, which is equivalent to authorization to accept a child. If not, a second assessment of what has been achieved will be proposed.
Please note
Depending on the qualifications or diplomas you already hold, you may be exempt from taking some of the training hours.
On the other hand, no exemption can be granted regarding the hours of training on first aid and on the role of the maternal assistant and its positioning in early childhood care.
You must register and publish your contact details and availability on the monenfant.fr website.
You must take out professional liability insurance.
The references of this insurance must be mentioned in the employment contract entered into with the employer.
Approval shall set the number of children you can accommodate. The number maximum of children that you can accommodate at the same time as a childminder is 4.
The number of children you can have under your exclusive liability is also limited. Exclusive responsibility refers to the number of children in your home that you supervise (grandchildren for example).
During the hours when you are hosting children as a childminder, you may have under your sole responsibility:
- 6 minors of under 11 at maximum
- Of which at maximum 4 children of less than 3 years old.
You can obtain waivers from the department.
Derogation to accommodate additional children in relation to the maximum number of children provided for by the approval
This derogation shall apply in a punctual, in particular for replace another childminder temporarily unavailable or for the occasional welcome children of parents seeking employment or on a social and professional integration path.
This exemption allows you to welcome as a childminder 1 child more than provided for in the approval decision.
During the hours when you take in children as part of your childminder activity, you may have under your exclusive liability until 6 minors under the age of 11 of which at most 4 children under 3 years old.
If you wish to obtain this waiver, you will need to make a written request to the department services who will assess the request and respond in writing within 3 months.
If the request is accepted, the use of this derogation shall be maximum of 50 hours per month.
Please note
You must inform the services of the department of the name and date of birth of the children within 8 days of their reception.
Derogation to accommodate additional children under the sole responsibility of the childminder
This derogation is exceptional and limited in time, to meet an unpredictable need (closed school for example) or temporary need (during school holidays for example).
During the hours when you take in children as part of your childminder activity, you may have under your exclusive liability until 8 minors under 11 years of age of which at most 4 children under 3 years old.
If you wish to obtain this waiver, you will need to make a written request to the department services who will assess the request and respond within 3 months in writing.
If the application is accepted, recourse to this derogation shall be maximum of 55 days per calendar year.
After the reception of the child
The Last 40 hours training shall be provided within 3 years maximum from the reception of 1er child.
An evaluation of the learning outcomes is conducted by the department's services or a training organization.
The validation of this training leads to the issuance of a follow-up certificate.
You must inform the department services when you change residence and for any changes in information contained in the application form.
Change of residence
In case of change of residence, you communicate your new address to the services of the department.
This information is given no later than 15 days before moving in by letter RAR: titleContent.
The services of the department ensure that the new accommodation complies with the approval issued by organizing a visit to it.
If the new conditions for the reception of children so warrant, they shall modify the approval.
Please note
In the event of a move to another department, the information shall be accompanied by a copy of the decision or the certificate of approval.
Other changes
For any other modification of the information contained in the application form and concerning your family situation or the persons living at your home (divorce or birth of a child for example), you must inform the department without delay.
Within one year before the end of the approval and at least 4 months before it expires, the services of the department send you a letter with the renewal request form.
You must apply for the renewal of the license 3 months at least before it expires.
FYI
In the case of a 1er renewal, the services of the department inform you of your obligation to produce documents attesting that you are committed to a continuous improvement of your professional practice and a professional qualification course.
The address of the application varies depending on whether you are in Paris or in another municipality:
General case
You must fill out a form:
Application for approval of childminder or childminder
You must provide the supporting documents indicated in the form's leaflet.
The file can be submitted by hand or sent by registered letter with AR: titleContent with the services of your department.
In Paris
You must fill out a form:
Application for approval of childminder or childminder
You must provide the supporting documents indicated in the form's leaflet.
The file can be submitted by hand or sent by registered letter with AR: titleContent.
Who shall I contact
IMP and Families Planning Sub-Directorate
By mail
Accreditation center for childminders and family assistants
76 Rue de Reuilly
75570 PARIS CEDEX 12
On site
Accreditation center for childminders and family assistants
76 Rue de Reuilly
75012 PARIS
To be granted, your renewal application must be accompanied by the following documents:
- Certificate of validation of training hours, obtained on the occasion of the initial application for approval
- Attestation of reception of at least 1 child during the initial period of approval
- Documents justifying a process of continuous improvement of professional practice
- Documents justifying participation in tests assessing the acquisition of childcare skills.
If you do not receive a response within this 2 months, the renewal of the approval shall be deemed to have been taken for granted.
It is granted for a period of 5 years.
The approval shall be renewed for a period of 10 years where the childminder certifies success in the tests assessing the acquisition of childcare skills.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
For any additional information
Services of the departmentFor more information if you live in Paris
IMP and Families Planning Sub-Directorate
By mail
Accreditation center for childminders and family assistants
76 Rue de Reuilly
75570 PARIS CEDEX 12
On site
Accreditation center for childminders and family assistants
76 Rue de Reuilly
75012 PARIS
For any additional information
Maternal and Child Protection Center (PMI)
Conditions for obtaining and examining the application
Exercise in a nursery home (Mam)
Briefings on the job of childminder
Conditions for obtaining and examining the application
Renewal, suspension and withdrawal of authorization
Online service
Online service
Service-Public.fr