The Chief Executive of SCMA, Graeme McAlister met with Siobhian Brown MSP – the new Minister for Children, Young People and the Promise – at the Scottish Parliament yesterday (24 June 2026).
The meeting and their discussions were very positive, wide-ranging and included the following points of interest regarding the landscape childminding in Scotland:
- Childminders’ care for children aged from 0-12/16 years.
- The important role that childminders will play in supporting the Scottish Government’s manifesto commitment to extend funded childcare from nine months to 12 years.
- Childminders’ experiences during the funded ELC expansion.
- The issues and problems caused by some local authorities departing from ELC guidance.
- An overview of SCMA, our support for members, and ongoing delivery of the Programme for Scotland’s Childminding Future.
We are looking forward to working alongside the Minister, as we continue to increase wider awareness of childminding in Scotland – and proactively champion the benefits of childminding for children of all ages, their families and how vital they are within their local communities.
Graeme McAlister, Chief Executive of SCMA said:
“SCMA has a very constructive relationship with the Scottish Government, most notably through our ongoing delivery of the Programme for Scotland’s Childminding Future which is predominantly funded by the Scottish Government and currently being delivered in 31 local authority areas.
“The Scottish Government’s recognition of the value of childminding, its important role in supporting parental employment and contributing to child poverty reduction, and the need for concerted action on childminder retention and recruitment has been very positive. It is essential this continues for the benefit of children, families and communities around Scotland.
“In parallel, we also recognise our responsibilities to represent members and the wider childminding workforce and to engage the Scottish Government on areas which require improvement.
“At our recent SCMA Conference this year, I spoke candidly and provided a stark warning about the increasing number of local authorities departing from, and acting independently of, national guidance of funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC).
“Despite our efforts – meeting with the former Minister, officials and COSLA, who report they are absolutely committed to ‘Funding Follows the Child’ – we’re not seeing any progress and childminders are starting to lose confidence.
“This issue needs to be address urgently – requiring more leadership and accountability from both local and national bodies – and this must be a priority for the new Scottish Government.
“We look forward to working with the Minister to overcome these challenges so that the childminding sector remains sustainable, can flourish, and ensures the best start in life for children across Scotland.”