Parents ‘being held back’ over drop in childminding services, says Jamie Stone
Jamie Stone has described a reduction in services specialising in the care of children as “a huge worry”.
He pointed to data from the Care Inspectorate showing that the number of childminders in the Highlands had fallen by around a third over the past seven years.
The Liberal Democrat MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross has told Scotland’s minister for children and young people, Natalie Don, that childcare is “a cornerstone of community life and a key economic enabler”.
Mr Stone noted that the decline had been “particularly significant” in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and the Highlands, with more than one in five of the available childcare services having been lost since 2017. The Highlands had seen the greatest overall decrease at 32 per cent.
The Scottish Childminding Association has attributed the decline to “an ageing workforce, a lack of recruitment and the challenges associated with the expansion of funded early learning and childcare”.
Mr Stone said: “There can be no doubt that the United Kingdom faces economic challenges at present. To get the UK back on its feet, we must mobilise the full potential of our entire workforce.
“That is why any drop in childminding services is a huge worry – parents are being held back in terms of what they can offer to our workforce.
“For this reason, I am dismayed by the figures that have been released for the Highlands and other parts of Scotland which show a dramatic fall in the number of childminders in particular.
“I need answers to this decline and a reassurance that the Scottish Government has a plan to retain and protect childcare services in remote and rural communities. I have written to the minister for children and young people and I look forward to her response.”
