By Lucy Ashton
Scottish Labour has today accused the SNP government of over a decade of failing families, as the party can reveal the number of childminders registered in Scotland has collapsed under the SNP.
Statistics obtained by Scottish Labour have shown that between December 2012 to December 2022 the number of childminders fell from 6,274 to 3,530 – almost halving.
This comes as families across Scotland continue to grapple with long working weeks and struggle to access childcare.
The charity Pregnant Then Screwed has reported in their research that 43 per cent of Scottish parents surveyed have said that they cannot afford to have any more children due to childcare costs.
Scottish Labour has said today that the loss of over 2,700 childcare providers on the SNP’s watch shows that the SNP has failed Scottish families.
Scottish Labour Children and Young People spokesperson Martin Whitfield MSP, left, said “The consistent decline in the number of childminders operating in Scotland over the past decade is proof positive that the SNP has failed families in Scotland.
“These figures paint a worrying picture of the erosion of vital childcare services in our communities. Childminders play a crucial role in supporting families and providing flexible, high-quality care for young children.
“Dwindling numbers of childminders will have serious implications for parents seeking childcare options and for the early years development of our children.
“It’s time to draw a line under a decade of failure and act to support families.”
artwork: jane heaney
Scottish Government Written Response:
Pam Duncan-Glancy (Glasgow) (Scottish Labour Party), pictured right: To ask the Scottish Government how many childminders have been registered as active in Scotland in each of the last 10 years.
Natalie Don: The Care Inspectorate publishes annual statistics on the number of childminders operating in Scotland. The following table summarises published Care Inspectorate data from the last 10 years. The figure for 2023 is expected to be published in the autumn of 2024.
|
Year |
Number of childminders |
|
December 2012 |
6,274 |
|
December 2013 |
6,185 |
|
December 2014 |
6,102 |
|
December 2015 |
5,530 |
|
December 2016 |
5,669 |
|
December 2017 |
5,426 |
|
December 2018 |
5,108 |
|
December 2019 |
4,752 |
|
December 2020 |
4,395 |
|
December 2021 |
3,998 |
|
December 2022 |
3,530 |
Source: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers/question?ref=S6W-25144