Calling for 'a coherent national childcare policy', the report Parents Access to and Demand for Childcare in Scotland said, 'The greater use and preference for informal childcare suggests that at least part of the focus of policy must be on assisting informal provision.'
The report, compiled by NFO Research and DTZ Pieda Consulting, said, 'Informal providers could be offered some basic childcare training and more flexible employment or benefits packages to try to develop more quality informal care.'
Ian McLaughlan, chief executive of the Scottish Pre-School Play Association, said 'Basic training in childcare for family members would be helpful in some cases.' He cited the SPPA's involvement in Sure Start projects as 'an excellent vehicle to develop the skills of parents and carers'.
However, the Scottish Executive has ruled out training for family members. A spokesman said, 'We are concentrating on formal childcare. We have made it clear that we do not want to over-regulate the sector. It would be slightly ridiculous for us to start telling parents who they could or could not have looking after their children.'
He said that the report was not making recommendations but would be a guide for the Executive to formulate future childcare policy. He added that 12m was currently being spent on training in the formal childcare sector and a review was underway to ensure that the childcare workforce was developing adequately.
The report, which underlined the need for greater efforts to develop flexible provision to ensure a satisfactory balance between work and home life, also revealed that funding for the childcare strategy in Scotland is being increased from 16.75m in 2002-03 to 40.65m in 2005-06.
The report found that parents do not make distinctions between childcare that is formal or informal, paid or free. 'Parents will choose childcare according to quality, safety consider- ations and whether they can trust and rely on the provider before they look at cost, location and convenience,' it stated.
Mr McLaughlan said the report showed that 'a one-size-fits-all set-up for childcare in the 21st century is unworkable' and 'demonstrates the need for a greater collaboration between agencies to help meet the complex and diverse needs of parents and carers'.
Maureen McKissock, national development manager at the Scottish Out of School Care Network, said the report highlighted the importance of identifying parents' specific childcare needs, rather than simply asking them if they want childcare.
Local authorities needed to be challenged over whether they are doing an audit of childcare needs 'so they can, for example, help parents who have to work twilight shifts'. She suggested that greater use could be made of the fledgling sitter services being developed in Scotland so that children are not kept in formal settings too late in the evening.
The full report is at www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/recent.
The survey found that 80 per cent of parents had their childcare needs met, but nearly half indicated that there was not enough information on where to look for provision.
