Six days to celebrate Scotland’s quality childminders and one Wild Day Out!
Alongside thousands of childminders across Scotland, SCMA is ready to #CheerforChildminding as we gear up to celebrate Childminding Week 2019 (6-12 May) and raise the profile and improve recognition of childminding in Scotland.
Each year, this award-winning event is always a massive success, and we want all childminders across Scotland to get involved and #CheerforChildminding. This is your chance to shine and showcase the wonderful range of play and learning experiences you bring to children and young people every day.
This is another important year for childminding in Scotland. It's vitally important that childminders are recognised more widely as a valuable part of the professional childcare workforce.
The Scottish Government is fully supportive of the role that childminding can, should and must play in the expansion of funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) and through recent events such as the
Childminding Summit is urging local authorities to recruit childminders as high-quality partner providers.
Childminders are already providing high-quality, flexible childcare and a wide range of invaluable learning experiences for more than 30,000 children across Scotland. And we need to come together to raise the roof and #CheerforChildminding this week and celebrate all the fantastic benefits of childminding.
Minister for Children and Young People, Maree Todd, said: “We want Scotland to be the best place in the world to grow up, and childminders are a part of that ambition. These dedicated individuals provide a nurturing setting for children, where they can provide innovative learning, particularly through play.
“Childminders are playing an important role in the expansion of funded early learning and childcare. Our new Funding Follows the Child approach means that parents and carers can choose the type and pattern of early years care that works best for their family, including childminding.
“On behalf of the Scottish Government I am delighted to support Childminding Week, and thank the thousands of childminders across Scotland for the role they are playing in providing creative, personalised care.”
Chief Executive of SCMA, Graeme McAlister, said: “Families who use childminders are fully aware of just how valuable a service they provide for children, families and communities. However, our Childminding Week event presents another great opportunity to showcase the value of childminding to a much wider audience, many of whom may be less aware of its positive impact and benefits.
“Childminding provides a unique form of childcare, in a nurturing home-based setting, with lots of learning and play opportunities for children to benefit from in the wider community. It enables children of different ages to learn together, enhance their social skills, build on their learning and development, and benefit from low adult-to-child ratios, thereby heightening the increased one-to-one attention that each child receives from their childminder.
“We are delighted to be celebrating Childminding Week with childminders from all across the country - join with us, and #CheerforChildminding.”
Read more about Childminding Week 2019
What’s happening near you? Take a look at the
Childminding Week 2019 Local Events
Are you ready for Childminding Week 2019?
If we all cheer together, we’ll make a bigger noise…#CheerforChildminding
Share your photos, stories and adventures with SCMA during Childminding Week 2019 using the #CheerforChildminding hashtag and we’ll share them far and wide…and you could become a Childminding Week Champion and WIN!
Aw the best!
As we all know, every little bit helps - and everything you do helps to make a difference. That’s why we need you all to share and promote your Childminding Week activity – big or small – and help
us spread the word to raise the profile of childminders in Scotland.
Get involved! Download our
Childminding Week 2019 Toolkit and #CheerforChildminding