Coronavirus: Scotland unveils £11m in childcare grants to help nurseries reopen safely

Scotland has unveiled funding of £11.2m to support childcare providers with the cost of safely reopening - in stark contrast to providers in England who have received no extra funding to help them reopen after lockdown.

The new Transitional Support Fund will help childcare providers in the private and voluntary sectors, including out-of-school care providers, meet extra costs incurred to comply with public health guidance in response to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

The grants are expected to help with costs for:

• increased cleaning 
• investment in additional equipment and developing outdoor space to enable more outdoor learning
• adaptations to support the physical distancing of adults, such as changes to entrance and exit areas and additional signage.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said, ‘Scotland’s childcare sector has been working extremely hard to ensure measures are in place to give staff and parents confidence ahead of their safe reopening.

‘Indeed many have been operating in this way over the past months as they provide essential high-quality care for the children of key workers, and I give them my warmest thanks for doing so.

‘However, taking these steps has resulted in extra costs for childcare providers, at a time when their income has also reduced. I am very pleased that, through this new fund, we can support them through these unprecedented times.’

The Scottish Government said that more information on how providers can apply for the fund will be set out by 31 July.

Grants will be available to all private and third sector childcare providers, not just those delivering funded early learning and childcare.

Amounts will vary according to the size of the childcare setting and will be based on Care Inspectorate registered capacity.​

Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), said, ‘It’s fantastic to see both the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister acknowledged the importance of the early learning and childcare sector in Scotland – not only for children’s education but also the country’s economic recovery.

‘Since lockdown began we have made a strong case for transitionary funding which has been announced today as nurseries and other childcare settings look to come out of lockdown. This will be a vital lifeline for providers to help adjust to the new operating realities.

‘It’s important for these grants to reach providers as quickly and directly as possible, with a straightforward application process. We hope providers will be able to apply for work that has already been carried out in preparation for this week’s re-opening.’

The NDNA said that initial feedback from members shows that demand for places has been hit by coronavirus, so there was still a lot of uncertainty for the months ahead. 

‘Bubbles’

The NDNA also said planned changes to the guidance on bubbles will be welcome to many childcare providers.

Ms Tanuku added, ‘Managing really small groups across a week - while attendance at nurseries varies so much - has been a key concern for our members. We have been raising this issue in our regular discussions with the Scottish Government. It is good to see that providers, who have the knowledge and experience of their settings and families, will be allowed to use their professional judgement in keeping staff and children safe.

‘Nurseries always make the safety of children and their staff their number one priority. Risk assessments will still be carried out and we will wait to see any other changes to the guidance. Parents can be assured that all other protective measures will be in place around health and safety and infection control. Settings will be working hard to provide high quality learning experiences in a safe environment.’

Childminders

Meanwhile, the Scottish Childminding Association has launched a Childminding Workforce Support Fund to provide grants for childminders experiencing financial problems as result of Covid-19. The SCMA is contributing £30,000 from its reserves, which is being matched by the Scottish Government. Childminders will be able to apply for small grants of up to £350 from the £60,000 fund.

Graeme McAlister, chief executive of the Scottish Childminding Association, said, ‘We recognise that this will not solve every financial concern - but we sincerely hope that the availability of a small grant from our Workforce Support Fund will help to alleviate some of the immediate pressure some professional childminders are experiencing.

‘In particular, it is aimed at those childminders who have not been eligible for other sources of funding and also those whose businesses may take some time to recover their normal operating model. We are grateful to the Scottish Government for providing match funding in order to increase and maximise the value of this fund.  

‘Childcare will play a very significant role in helping parents and carers get back to work and in supporting wider economic recovery from Covid-19, and we have been encouraged to hear that, subject to the continued suppression of the virus, Scottish Government hope to be able to ease the restrictions on blended care placements before the schools return in August. We are committed to doing all that we can to ensure childminding businesses remain financially viable, both now and in the future, and to strengthen the childminding workforce in the long-term.’

The minster for children and young people, Maree Todd MSP, said, ‘I am very grateful to the many childminders who have continued to deliver critical childcare to the children of key workers and vulnerable children. This has been an invaluable source of support to these families.

‘Childminders will also have a vital role to play, along with the rest of the childcare sector, in supporting economic recovery and enabling more parents and carers to either return to work, or to increase their hours.’

• For more information on eligibility and how to apply, please visit www.childminding.org/covid-19/workforce-fund.