SNP MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar Alasdair Allan today hosted an event on childcare in Stornoway, in partnership with charity PTS. This follows a survey he carried out which gathered data surrounding access to childcare across the Western Isles.

Attended by 36 parents and local stakeholders, the event looked at various issues facing families including access to childcare provision as well as also discussing resources available for people looking to start a career in childminding.

A survey earlier this year by the islands’ MSP found that over 80% of island parents weren’t able to work as many hours as they wanted to because of a lack of access to childcare, and a quarter of parents said the lack of childcare locally had meant they had decided not to have any more children.

In July of 2023, the closure of the An Cotan nursery placed further pressure on Childcare in Lewis. As it stands, there are only 9 nursery spaces available for 0-2 year old children in Lewis, whilst childminders have long waiting lists throughout the Western Isles  

Alasdair Allan commented:

“I am grateful for Carole and Nicola’s efforts in facilitating today’s sessions, which allowed for in-depth conversations to be had amongst parents and others within the community. Further to today’s discussions, I encourage anybody who is interested in becoming a childminder to reach out to CnES for support and information.

“Family-friendly drop-in sessions organised by HIE and CnES are taking place in Uist (today) and Barra on Saturday, allowing for anyone interested in exploring a career in childminding to talk directly with Business Gateway, as well as the Care and Learning Alliance (CALA).

“I will continue to work with local and national stakeholders to bring about improvement on this issue urgently.”