The Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme replaces the existing UK Nursery Milk Scheme in Scotland from 1 August 2021. Delivered by the Scottish Government, and administered by Scotland’s local authorities, it aims to support the health and wellbeing of young children and to help encourage healthy behaviours for life. All childcare providers, including childminders, must register for the scheme as soon as possible and by 31 July 2021.

The Care Inspectorate has today, Tuesday, 15 June, published its new draft Quality Framework for Daycare of Children, Childminding and School Aged Childcare.   

SCMA is the only organisation in Scotland dedicated to all aspects of childminding. With almost 3,500 childminder members, we look to our Elected Members to provide a ‘voice for childminding’ and represent the values, views and priorities of childminders across Scotland.

Education Scotland and SCMA will be joining forces to deliver an online webinar ‘Realising the Ambition Overview for Childminders’ on Thursday, 16 June at 6.30pm to explore the key messages in this national practice guidance and consider how childminders are using the guidance to support your practice.

We are aware that there is some confusion surrounding visits, and we have received contact from a few members on this. For clarification and to confirm, please read the following information carefully.

In late April the Scottish Government published an update which stated that childcare providers could not charge any fees when families were self-isolating. SCMA raised this with the Scottish Government at that time and over the last few weeks we have discussed this with the Scottish Government and both the Scottish Government and SCMA have been in contact with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) about this issue.