We understand that some childminders in Scotland may have received an email from or become aware that a childcare company based in England is offering to match free hours of voluntary childcare provided by their members with NHS key worker need for emergency childcare, via their website, and has communicated at a UK level regarding this. Some members have found this confusing, have contacted us and requested advice as to if this applies in Scotland.
We would like to clarify our understanding of the position in Scotland.
Childminding settings in Scotland have been allowed to stay open if they provide emergency childcare for key workers or vulnerable children, provided that the setting provides childcare for no more than two families (excluding the childminder’s own) at any one time and adheres to the latest social distancing guidance for educational settings in Scotland. This guidance applies to both local authority hubs and childminding settings.
While we recognise any effort to help families at this time, Scottish local authorities have a named responsibility for co-ordinating the emergency childcare response in Scotland and are already doing this. We are working with local authorities to deliver this on a sustainable and co-ordinated basis, matching key worker demand for emergency childcare and support for vulnerable children with capacity in local authority hubs and childminding settings.
SCMA has already captured data on members’ capacity in Scotland and, with their consent, has shared this with Local Authorities around Scotland.
We recognise that for however long this exceptional situation lasts, key workers (as parents/carers) need to be able to confidently rely on dedicated and sustainable childcare. We will continue to assist and collaborate with the co-ordinated national response in Scotland, which is evolving and presenting some challenges in managing the demand for childcare with resources. We would also encourage others to do likewise and, in particular, to avoid duplication of effort at this time and to maximise our collective impact.
We also recognise that many childminders are losing income at this time, are concerned about the viability and future of their businesses and may not be able to afford to volunteer their services for free, even if this were an option. We understand this, the pressure you are under and would stress that no-one should feel compelled to do so or feel guilty about this if approached by others.
For childminders operating in Scotland, who may receive or access news about childcare in other parts of the UK, we will continue to provide you with childminding-specific updates about what is happening in Scotland and to refer you to official guidance and sources in Scotland.