There are 22 LECS across Scotland, set up to encourage business development. Children in Scotland says there are many examples of good practice where childcare partnerships and LECs have worked closely, but 'the lack of defined budgets and associated targets creates difficulties for some LECs, leading to differing approaches across Scotland'. The charity's report, The Role of Local Enterprise Companies in Rural Childcare, calls for a national LEC childcare policy.
Carolyn Martin, chair of Children in Scotland's Rural Advisory Group and childcare strategy manager with Scottish Borders Childcare Partnership, has written to ministers at the Scottish Executive inviting their comments on the charity's recommendations. They are based on its own research and two seminars -one for childcare partnerships in August, the other for LECs in September.
The letter has been sent to Cathy Jamieson, minister for education and young people; Ross Finnie, minister for the environment and rural development; and Wendy Alexander, minister for enterprise, transport and lifelong learning.
In its strategic guidance to LECs for 2000-2001, the Scottish Executive said they should take full account of the importance of childcare as an economic activity. But during the summer Children in Scotland reviewed 20 LEC annual reports and found that only one mentioned involvement in their local childcare partnership and none referred to childcare in relation to large-scale business developments.
Moira Oliphant, from the early education and childcare division of the Scottish Executive, told the LEC September seminar that clearer strategic guidance was needed on their role - although 'the Scottish Executive cannot tell LECs to become fully involved in childcare partnerships'.
The Children in Scotland report points out that there are examples of good practice in many areas, including in the Highlands and Islands, the Borders and Fife, although the degree of LEC involvement tended to depend on the energy of individuals rather than a sustainable strategy.
