Success cited in 11 family projects

A report published last week, Working for Families: Lessons from the pilot projects (Stage One), evaluated the one-year pilot of three childcare projects in Glasgow and eight in Dumfries and Galloway.

Projects in Dumfries and Galloway included a sitter service, out-of-hours childcare, a roving creche, childminding and community transport. The roving creche may be extended into rural areas to link it to outreach learning centres and a mobile learning facility.

Projects in Glasgow include Childcare Extra in Easterhouse, which runs a subsidy scheme to help parents with childcare costs during the first few months of a new job or training, and provides a mentor to help them find childcare that suits their needs. Researchers identified several good practice lessons for future schemes, including setting up a steering group to oversee development with representatives from the local authority and childcare agencies; consultation with interested parties and regulatory bodies, such as the Care Commission, before finalising the project; and ensuring that staff were aware of local parents' needs.