SCMA launch new Early Learning and Childcare Campaign to protect the future of childminding services

Outside of the childcare sector, childminding is probably one of the least understood services, often thought of as little more than complimentary to all the other more recognised services. Childminders don’t quite fit – working alone in their own homes and unable to integrate with other early years services. However with over 5,336 childminders in Scotland caring for over 32,000 children, childminding is without doubt an essential early years’ service which needs protected to help give children the best start in life.

This is the message SCMA is taking forward in our new Early Learning and Childcare Campaign to ensure that childminding remains an option for funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) in 2020.

The first part of this campaign was to ask for the support of the SCMA membership to sign a Mandate for Change and our members are doing it in style with now over 53% pledging their support. This mandate has given us the authority to lobby on behalf of our membership for childminders to become partner providers in local authority areas throughout Scotland. Thank you to all those who have pledged their support and there is still time to sign if you haven’t already .

Maggie Simpson, our CEO, is now in the process of writing to the Chief Executive of every local authority to lobby for change and request a meeting to ensure that childminding remains a viable option for parents in 2020. Through the ELC campaign, SCMA is trying to ensure that:

• Parents, particularly of two year olds, are given childminding as an option for their funded hours of ELC.
• The Scottish Government partners with SCMA and local authorities to run a positive promotional campaign for the use of childminding services for a blended approach to ELC.
• Parents using a childminding service are empowered with the right to be able to continue with that service for funded hours of ELC with that cost funded by local authorities.

A new SCMA ELC microsite is now live to give you the latest updates on our new ELC campaign. To check it out CLICK HERE.

Childminders and the services they deliver, matter and SCMA will continue to do their utmost to protect these services to ensure the best start in life for children.