The importance of childcare
THIS week, I spoke in the Scottish Parliament for the first time, on one of the subjects that came up a lot on the doorstep, and one that is close to my heart: childcare.
The SNP Government has committed to expanding childcare in two directions: down to nine months, and up through primary. The case is clear. Parents from Peebles to Penicuik and Galashiels to Gorebridge raised it with me, alongside the providers and charities who work with them.
I was brought up with childcare as a valued part of working life. My mum, Grace, trained at Barnardo's, worked as a nursery nurse and a nanny, ran her own playgroup, then built and ran her own nursery here in Peebles.
All three of my children went through it. I do not claim to be an expert, but I know how much it matters and how undervalued those delivering it can feel.
Two stories from the constituency stand out. A mum in Galashiels wrote to me. Her after-school club had closed with no local alternative.
She now pays £10 a day in taxi fares to get her child to a club in Melrose so she can keep working. That is what gaps in rural provision look like. It is also the cost of living, in the most literal sense.
A different picture at Stow Primary, a few miles up the road. Stow Kids Club, with support from Schools Out, runs a breakfast club and an after-school club on site. Built by parents and providers on tight budgets, it shows what is possible.
All year round wraparound care through primary, including holiday clubs, can build on what already exists. Extension to nine months will take longer, with higher ratios and training needs. A phased approach makes sense.
Whatever the pace, we must do this with the sector, not to it. Childminders, nurseries and providers want to be part of it.
Done well, this can give children the best start, support more parents into work, and help tackle child poverty. Childcare built around families, not families having to fit around childcare.
