£4.5m fund will support childcare work

A NEW £4.5 million fund aimed at helping childcare and family support projects was announced at the conference.

The Scottish Government’s new Communities and Families Fund is the first scheme to be funded from the £50m Early Years Change Fund.

The scheme, which will receive £1.5m every year over the next three years, could be used to help community playgroups and creches, as well as the refurbishment of playgrounds by local communities.

Education secretary Michael Russell said: “This fund will support projects that bring real, tangible benefits for those children and their families, giving our youngsters the best start in life and paving the way for successful futures.

“This Communities and Families Fund will allow communities to bid for a share of the £4.5m available over the next three years to invest in local projects.”

The move was welcomed by Anne Houston, chief executive of charity group Children 1st, who said the move was “a further step in the right direction of supporting families and communities across Scotland to better care for their children”.