New approach to childcare in Aberdeenshire welcomed by councillor
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Members of Aberdeenshire Council's education and children's services committee have endorsed a new approach to childcare in the local authority.
The Council will work with private, independent and Third sector providers to explore an alternative delivery model for out of school care.
A cross-service approach to the development and delivery of the future of school-aged childcare will be taken.
Currently, only 43 per cent of schools in Aberdeenshire have an ‘informal’ wrap around care provision.
However Conservative councillors have called on the Scottish Government to match the promises to wraparound childcare made by the UK Government elsewhere in the UK.
In his spring budget Chancellor Jeremy Hunt expanded free childcare for all children under five, increased the hourly funding rate paid to private providers and announced a wraparound care scheme, giving funding to local authorities to provide wraparound care to primary aged children between 8am and 6pm.
Commenting on the proposals, West Garioch Councillor Sam Payne, said: "Childcare concerns have continually been raised with me, and having met recently with both parents and a childcare provider, I'm delighted at an alternative delivery model now being explored by the Council.”
"However we need the Scottish Government to match the ambition of the UK Government.
"The Scottish Government received an extra £320 million as a consequence of the Spring Budget, this should be passed on to Local Authorities to be able to deliver wraparound out of school care."
Out of School Care was discussed as Item 11 of the Education and Children’s Services Committee.
