SCMA is embarking on the second phase of a major campaign to recruit new registered childminders in targeted urban and rural areas to help establish childminding places for families and to help strengthen the overall childminding workforce in Scotland.
This campaign aims to recruit new childminders in specific areas where they are most needed and is an extension to our successful 2022 campaign which has seen almost 60 new childminders complete or apply for registration with the Care Inspectorate to establish new businesses in remote and rural areas.
This latest phase will aim to recruit and train a further 115 new childminders in specific communities where they are most needed. The project provides a fantastic package of fully funded support and training available to successful applicants, providing everything needed to establish a new childminding business.
Led by SCMA, with funding from Scottish Government, participating local authorities and agencies, the ‘
Scottish Childminding Partnership’ now seeks to further increase the number of childminding businesses, targeting additional areas of Scotland where there are currently not enough childminders to meet the level of demand from working families seeking local, high-quality, nurturing and flexible childcare.
Which areas are being targeted?
The target urban communities are within City of Edinburgh, City of Glasgow, City of Dundee and East Renfrewshire with the aim of recruiting 75 new childminders, with the targeted follow-up recruitment within Dumfries and Galloway, and Highland and Islands to recruit 40 new childminders.
No previous childcare experience is required to become a childminder but applicants do need to be passionate about working with children. It’s an extremely rewarding career option - contributing to children’s development, learning and wellbeing and providing a valuable childcare service within the local community. Childminders are self-employed business owners who come from all walks of life and diverse backgrounds. Often, people who are looking to get back into work, or who want to switch career into professional childminding, do so to enable them to combine caring for their own children whilst running their own business from home and earning an income.
Training and Support
Those who apply and are accepted on to the pilot will be supported every step of the way by a dedicated member of the SCMA team, from induction training and support through the registration process to establishing their new business. On completion of registration with the Care Inspectorate and HMRC, new childminders have access to a start-up grant so that they can be reimbursed for some of the initial costs associated with setting up their new business from home*. They will also receive a unique package of childminding-specific training courses.
Graeme McAlister, Chief Executive, Scottish Childminding Association, said: “
This campaign builds on the success of our 2022 pilot where we successfully recruited new childminders in remote and rural communities. Whether in rural areas, towns or cities, this form of high-quality childcare is a vital asset to families and the recruitment of more childminders is another important step towards addressing the urgent demand for high-quality childcare from parents and carers. This is a fantastic opportunity for those living in these target areas, who may be considering getting back into work, or looking for a change of career which supports a better work / life balance, to access a wealth of support in setting up their own sustainable childminding business and to begin a new, rewarding career working with children.”
“The childminding workforce has been declining and there is an acute need, and unmet demand, for childminding in many parts of Scotland. Our rural pilot has tested a supported model for recruiting new childminders which has been delivering strong results. By further testing its application in urban areas and applying learning from our rural pilot, we very much believe the next stage will be scaling-up this campaign nationally”.
Minister for Children and Young People, Clare Haughey, said: “
The Scottish Government wants to encourage more people into childminding and we are pleased to be working in collaboration with SCMA and others to develop the second phase of this innovative pilot to support recruitment in specific areas. Childminders provide a unique, flexible and tailored experience of childcare and they are a much valued part of our Early Learning and Childcare workforce.”
Find out more
Further details including information on the target areas and communities, eligibility criteria and how to get started is available on our dedicated
SCP recruitment webpage.
*Terms and conditions apply