{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/childcare-act-2006/section-18",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/childcare-act-2006/section-18.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2006/21",
  "legislation_title": "Childcare Act 2006",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/childcare-act-2006",
  "path": "section/18",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "18",
  "heading": "Meaning of childcare",
  "text": "(1) This section applies for the purposes of this Part and Part 3.\n(2) “Childcare” means any form of care for a child and, subject to subsection (3), care includes—\n(a) education for a child, and\n(b) any other supervised activity for a child.\n(3) “Childcare” does not include—\n(a) education (or any other supervised activity) provided by a school during school hours for a registered pupil who is not a young child, or\n(b) any form of health care for a child.\n(4) “Childcare” does not include care provided for a child by—\n(a) a parent or step-parent of the child;\n(b) a person with parental responsibility for the child;\n(c) a relative of the child;\n(d) a person who is a local authority foster parent in relation to the child;\n(e) a person who is a foster parent with whom the child has been placed by a voluntary organisation;\n(f) a person who fosters the child privately.\n(5) “Childcare” does not include care provided for a child if the care—\n(a) is provided in any of the following establishments as part of the establishment's activities—\n(i) a children's home in respect of which a person is registered under Part 2 of the Care Standards Act 2000,\n(ii) a care home,\n(iii) a hospital in which the child is a patient,\n(iv) a residential family centre, and\n(b) is so provided by the person carrying on the establishment or a person employed to work at the establishment.\n(6) The reference in subsection (5)(b) to a person who is employed includes a reference to a person who is employed under a contract for services.\n(7) “Childcare” does not include care provided for a child who is detained in—\n(a) a young offender institution, ...\n(b) a secure training centre , or\n(c) a secure college.\n(8) In this section—\n(a) ... “local authority foster parent”, “to foster a child privately” and “voluntary organisation” have the same meaning as in the Children Act 1989 (c. 41);\n(b) “care home”, “children's home” ... and “residential family centre” have the same meaning as in the Care Standards Act 2000 (c. 14);\n(ba) “hospital” has the meaning given by section 275 of the National Health Service Act 2006.\n(c) “relative”, in relation to a child, means a grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother or sister, whether of the full blood or half blood or by marriage or civil partnership.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 18(5)(a)(i) substituted (1.4.2011 for E., 1.12.2017 for W.) by Children and Young Persons Act 2008 (c. 23), s. 44(4), Sch. 1 para. 19(2); S.I. 2010/2981, art. 4(a); S.I. 2017/948, art. 2(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Word in s. 18(7)(a) omitted (20.3.2015) by virtue of Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 (c. 2), s. 95(1), Sch. 9 para. 21(a); S.I. 2015/778, art. 2(1)(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Word in s. 18(7)(b) inserted (20.3.2015) by Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 (c. 2), s. 95(1), Sch. 9 para. 21(b); S.I. 2015/778, art. 2(1)(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 18(7)(c) inserted (20.3.2015) by Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 (c. 2), s. 95(1), Sch. 9 para. 21(c); S.I. 2015/778, art. 2(1)(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 18(8)(a) repealed (1.4.2011 for E., 1.12.2017 for W.) by Children and Young Persons Act 2008 (c. 23), s. 44(4), Sch. 1 para. 19(3)(a), Sch. 4; S.I. 2010/2981, art. 4(a)(l); S.I. 2017/948, art. 2(a)(c)(iv)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 18(8)(b) inserted (1.4.2011 for E., 1.12.2017 for W.) by Children and Young Persons Act 2008 (c. 23), s. 44(4), Sch. 1 para. 19(3)(b); S.I. 2010/2981, art. 4(a); S.I. 2017/948, art. 2(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Word in s. 18(8)(b) omitted (1.10.2010) by virtue of Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Consequential Amendments No.2) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/813), arts. 1(1), 18"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "S. 18(8)(ba) inserted (1.10.2010) by Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Consequential Amendments No.2) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/813), arts. 1(1), 18"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 18 in force at 20.12.2006 by S.I. 2006/3360, art. 2(b)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/21/section/18",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:14:29.405916+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}