Playgroups in Scotland have expressed concerns about funding and sustainability in a study of playgroups catering for more than 42,000 children. Funding worries affect more than one in four (29 per cent) of those surveyed by the Scottish Pre-school Play Association. The second biggest cause for concern was sustainability of the group. SPPA chief executive Ian McLaughlan said that some playgroups had to rely on parents helping with fundraising. 'That challenge is getting greater each year. It can also divert attention away from other projects such as the regulation of care,' he said. To stay sustainable some playgroups were looking at caring for the rising-threes, as well as offering 'wraparound' provision such as breakfast clubs and after-school clubs, Mr McLaughlan added.
Playgroups in Scotland have expressed concerns about funding and sustainability in a study of playgroups catering for more than 42,000 children. Funding worries affect more than one in four (29 per cent) of those surveyed by the Scottish Pre-school Play Association. The second biggest cause for concern was sustainability of the group. SPPA chief executive Ian McLaughlan said that some playgroups had to rely on parents helping with fundraising. 'That challenge is getting greater each year. It can also divert attention away from other projects such as the regulation of care,' he said. To stay sustainable some playgroups were looking at caring for the rising-threes, as well as offering 'wraparound' provision such as breakfast clubs and after-school clubs, Mr McLaughlan added.
