Childcare needs greater state support

With regards to your report on childcare costs (27 February), I have a great deal of sympathy for parents struggling to cover these costs, which are among the highest in Europe. However, in the case of out of school care, most services are dependent on fees charged to parents to cover costs.

Furthermore, services in rural areas, areas of economic disadvantage and those providing care for children with disabilities all have high costs per place. In some local authorities, services are supported through subsidised rent in schools or community centres, as well as training or funding of qualifications to meet registration and inspection legislation and requirements, yet these levels of support vary greatly between local authorities.

In Scotland, most out of school care services are run as voluntary organisations, many with charitable status, with a management committee comprised of the parents who are dependent on this very service to access work, study or training opportunities. Out of school care workers, are qualified and registered with the Scottish Social Services Council, with managers now having to work towards a degree-level qualification in childhood practice: a professionally qualified workforce providing quality childcare requires better pay and conditions, which in most cases is still low.

Out of school care is a non-statutory service and despite being a vital resource to many children and families receives little in the way of financial support from government to cover core costs.

Currently the government chooses to subsidise the parent, to meet childcare costs through tax credits and childcare voucher schemes, and not the childcare provider. However, with a decrease in the amount of money available through tax credits and the welfare reform, many parents are now struggling to meet costs.

The childcare services should not be demonised here – it is the government that is reducing the financial support available.

As an organisation, the Scottish Out of School Care Network would ask for greater financial support to be given directly to out of school care services, and childcare services in general, in order to take away the financial burden on parents. If the Scottish Government is truly committed to supporting children and families, it should ensure that the childcare needs of school-age children are fully included in the development and delivery of early years preventative spending and strategies.

And if it is committed to ensuring that work pays for parents, then the issue of subsidising childcare at source for low-income families has to be more fully addressed.

IRENE AUDAIN

Chief executive

Scottish Out of School Care Network