Home Insurance for Childminders: Finding the Best Price

If you’re a childminder, you may have already discovered that finding home insurance can be both tricky and expensive. But it doesn’t have to be. After years of trial and error, I’ve found which insurers are actually childminder-friendly and how you can avoid paying over the odds.

Why is home insurance difficult for childminders?

Before my wife started childminding, I’d simply pop our details into a comparison site, grab the cheapest quote and renew every year. But the moment you mention that you’re running a business from home, many insurers either refuse cover or ramp up the price.

Insurers see childminding as an increased risk, even though, in my experience, there’s far more chaos (and potential for breakages!) when we have friends and family visiting than when a couple of toddlers are pottering around.

And here’s the kicker: childminders already have to pay for public liability insurance, which covers them for accidents relating to the children in their care. So why should your standard home insurance cost more on top of that?

The mainstream providers that work for childminders

After ditching comparison sites and wading through specialist companies (which often charged more), I eventually found a pleasant surprise. Some mainstream providers don’t penalise you for being a childminder.

• Direct Line – Buried in their terms and conditions is the fact that childminding from home isn’t treated as a business activity for insurance purposes. I even rang them to confirm, and they told me minded children are treated as if they’re your own.
• Churchill – Another option, also offering competitive prices for childminders.

Both are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, meaning the cover itself is essentially the same, but the price can vary between brands.

💡 Tip: Always get quotes from both Direct Line and Churchill at renewal; one may come in cheaper than the other.

A quick note on Nationwide

Until 2017, Nationwide was also underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, so it was fine for childminders. But since changing underwriters, they now classify childminding as a business activity – which means they’re no longer suitable.

Specialist childminder insurance companies

While mainstream insurers like Direct Line and Churchill are usually the cheapest and easiest option, some childminders prefer to take out specialist childminding insurance. This type of cover is designed specifically with childminders in mind, often bundling in extras that standard home insurance won’t touch.

Some examples include:

• Morton Michel – Probably the best-known provider of childcare insurance. Their policies include public liability insurance, professional indemnity, and legal expenses, plus you can add on home and contents cover tailored to childminders.
• Pacey (Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years) – Offers insurance for its members, including public liability and professional support. You’ll need to pay a membership fee, but this comes with training resources and industry guidance too.
• SCMA (Scottish Childminding Association) – If you’re based in Scotland, SCMA membership provides access to specialist insurance designed for childminders.
• Childcare.co.uk Insurance Scheme – Free for gold members of the platform, this includes public liability cover and additional support specifically for registered childminders.

These policies may cost more than a standard home insurance deal, but they provide peace of mind if you want cover that recognises the nature of your work and offers more protection than a general insurer.

💡 Tip: If you only need standard home insurance (because you already hold separate public liability insurance), then Direct Line or Churchill may be more cost-effective. But if you’d like everything wrapped together in one place, a specialist policy might be worth the extra.

Keep costs even lower

• Haggle at renewal – When Direct Line quoted me £50 more this year, I simply mentioned that another company had offered last year’s price (a little white lie…), and they matched it on the spot.
• Use cashback sites – Both Direct Line and Churchill regularly pop up on cashback sites like TopCashback and Quidco. At the time of writing, Direct Line was offering £10.50 back, which is a nice little bonus for something you need to buy anyway.

Final thoughts

Finding home insurance as a childminder doesn’t need to be stressful. Stick with mainstream insurers like Direct Line or Churchill, check cashback sites, and don’t be afraid to haggle at renewal. But if you’d prefer a policy that’s built specifically for childminders and want extra protection, specialist insurers such as Morton Michel or Pacey could be a better fit.

If you’ve managed to find another insurer who covers childminders without charging a premium, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.