The First Minister has set out the government’s funding options for next phase of their “childcare revolution” and launched a consultation to maximise the options available to parents.
Quality, choice and flexibility will be placed at the heart of Scotland’s childcare revolution, and the consultation on the Scottish Government’s ambitious Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) expansion plans includes proposals on new funding models to maximise the options available to parents.
The First Minister highlighted two proposals:
1.
Funding will follow the child, with parents or carers empowered to choose the provider that best meets their needs with funding provided by the local authority.
2.
Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) accounts will be established, with parents or carers given direct funding and allowed to purchase services with providers that offered them the best solution.
SCMA will be responding to the
consultation in due course, as the only organisation dedicated to childminding in Scotland, on the future direction and structure of ELC.
We are concerned that many local authorities are not contracting with childminders, despite childminders being existing ELC providers, offering families high quality, flexible early learning and childcare.
It is also vital that you have your say and encourage parents to take part in the consultation too. SCMA will be publishing more information and guidance for childminders very soon - stay tuned to
childminding.org.
The First Minister said: “Over this parliament, we will double the amount of state-funded early years education and childcare for all three and four year olds and for the most disadvantaged two year olds. And I am now announcing a new phase in this childcare revolution.
“At present it is local authorities who decide what childcare places are offered to parents. Councils work hard to be flexible - but often the places offered to parents are not where and when they need them.
“So we are now launching a national parent consultation on how to do things differently. It proposes radical new approaches prioritising choice and flexibility.
“First, we will propose that parents can choose a nursery or childminder that best suits their needs and - as long as the provider meets agreed standards – ask the local authority to fund it. In other words, the funding will follow the child - not the other way round.
“Second, as suggested by Children in Scotland’s Childcare Commission, we will propose that parents can opt to receive funding in a childcare account and then use it to purchase a suitable place directly.
“Quality, choice, flexibility – these will be the watchwords of a policy to transform the working lives of families and the life chances of our children.”
We’re waiting to hear from you…
SCMA has now launched our campaign, to help raise awareness of the high quality, child-focussed care that childminders in Scotland are already providing to children and their families.
We want more local authorities to consider commissioning childminders to provide funded ELC.
Have you signed our ELC mandate yet?
Find out more.