Following the Childminding Summit for local authorities that was held back in March, the Scottish Government is hosting an ‘ELC Partnership Summit’ on Thursday 12 September in Edinburgh.
SCMA will be heavily involved in the Summit; providing a childminding perspective to the agenda and representing the high-quality workforce, as well as delivering inputs through presentations and workshops.
The aim of the ELC Partnership Summit is to highlight and build on the work of the ELC Partnership Forum – of which childminders are represented by SCMA and bring together local authorities and other partner providers to showcase good practice in partnership working.
Graeme McAlister said: “We were delighted to be involved in the ELC Partnership Summit and for the role of childminding services to be involved and recognised with equity alongside other partner providers.
“With one year to go before the expansion of funded ELC is implemented across all areas in Scotland, this event will reinforce the focus on high-quality care and the ‘provider neutral’ approach of Funding Follows the Child to be reinforced.”
With the expansion of funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) now approaching, the Scottish Government and SCMA are keen to see more childminders being included in local authority's plans for a more blended approach to funded places to benefit children and their families across Scotland.
Look out for the latest information and updates about the ELC Partnership Summit at childminding.org.