Food licensing and registration

If you are planning to start up a childminding business that provides food as part of your childminding service you may need to register as a food business with us, depending on the food services you provide.

This is in addition to registering as a childminder. It only applies to childminders in domestic premises. It does not apply to nannies, home child carers or care operating from non-domestic premises such as nurseries, care homes and schools.

Limited food activities, no need to register

You do not need to register as a food business if you only provide these limited food activities:

• provision of mains drinking water
• provision of crockery and cutlery for use by children to eat their own packed lunches
• provision of chilled storage for packed lunches that belong to the children
• occasional assistance to children with cutting up their own food in response to individual need rather than as an established service
• occasional provision of food that is not part of the normal service, for example a cake to celebrate a child’s birthday or provision of food where a parent or guardian has been delayed
• operating in the child's home and serving food that belongs to the child's parent or guardian, for example nannies and home child carers

More extensive food activities that need to be registered

If you provide food activites more extensive than the limited list, you may need to register. Contact us to check whether you need to register:

Email: environmentalhealth@dumgal.gov.uk
Telephone: 030 33 33 3000

How to register

Complete the childminder food registration form and send it to Environmental Health, Municipal Chambers, Buccleuch Street, Dumfries DG1 2AD.