Access to Childcare Fund

About the Access to Childcare Fund

The purpose of this fund is to support childcare solutions that enable more accessible and affordable childcare for families and to help to reduce the barriers parents and carers experience in accessing childcare. These barriers include the cost of childcare, the hours available and accessibility for children with additional support needs.

Grants were awarded to fifteen services and projects in 2020 to seek to address the challenges and barriers encountered and allow parents and carers to have time around the school day and in holidays safe in the knowledge that their child(ren) is being looked after and given opportunities to take part in activities, play or youth work experiences.

They aimed to make services more accessible and affordable for low-income families, particularly the six identified priority family groups most at risk from living in poverty and set out in the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan (click here to find out more).

Click here for more information on the projects and their progress

In April 2022 the Scottish Government confirmed that it would continue to fund eight of the projects for further testing of their childcare model.

Click here for more information on the continued funding

The eight projects are:

Hame Fae Hame
St Mirin’s Out of School Care
The Indigo Childcare Group
SHIP (Support, Help and Integration in Perthshire)
SupERkids
Clyde Gateway
Stepping Stones for Families
The Wee Childcare Company.

If you would like any further information on the Fund, please contact: accesstochildcarefund@childreninscotland.org.uk