Sitter services are inadequate to meet demand from parents and suffer from long-term funding uncertainty, research for the Scottish Executive has found.
A study funded by the Scottish Executive found that sitter services, which offer home-based childcare from morning to evening seven days a week, have benefited parents needing childcare to allow them to work unsociable hours as well as those needing a respite from caring for disabled children. But demand has far outstripped supply.
In the report, The sitter service in Scotland: A study of the costs and benefits, researchers analysed seven services, catering for 428 families in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Kilmar- nock, North Lanarkshire and Inverclyde. It found that waiting lists for services currently ranged from 34 per cent to 88 per cent of the total number of families they had helped in the previous year - a measure of the demand from those aware that services were available, as in many parts of Scotland they are not.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
