Childminding Recruitment Campaign

A call is going out for Dundee people to consider taking up a career in childminding.  

The City Council is supporting the Scottish Childminding Association’s (SCMA) recruitment campaign, which a senior councillor calls an “investment in the future of the city”.  

Advantages of flexible employability opportunities for local people to work from their own home, as well as the potential growth of childcare options for city families are being highlighted as benefits.  

Funded training and support would be provided to successful applicants, who will also be able to access employability and Business Gateway support throughout the programme and into their self-employment journey.  

Fair Work, Economic Growth and Infrastructure convener Cllr Steven Rome said: “We are acutely aware in the drop of the number of childminders across Scotland, which is reflected in our city.  

“I think that this campaign will provide an investment in the future of the city, for those who set up childminding businesses and for the children and families themselves.”  

Children, Families and Communities convener Cllr Stewart Hunter added: “We fully support this SCMA campaign which will help develop flexible and exciting employment opportunities for local people.  

“It will also help provide more childcare options for families to allow them to take on more training or employment themselves.”  

The campaign features Dundee childminder Elaine Bruce, who runs Elaine’s Amazing Spaces

Elaine worked in child education for 38 years and previously worked in a senior position in a nursery. She realised she could be a professional childminder, working from home with small numbers of children.    

She said: “I’d thoroughly recommend childminding as a career. If you’ve got a passion for working with children, the opportunity is there to make a really great business.”  

“I felt really supported by SCMA, particularly throughout the process of registration. I thought the one-to-one support available from SCMA was invaluable. Any problem or question, no matter how small, I received help so quickly. It’s really reassuring to have experts in childminding to refer to.”  

Elaine explains that childminding brings great benefits for the children who take part.  

“With smaller numbers involved in childminding, there’s lots of opportunity for the younger ones to learn together to share and play in wee groups. It’s an important part of learning – things like waiting their turn – and I believe being around children that aren’t their siblings is important.”  

A dedicated SCMA Workforce Officer is assigned to each candidate to provide expert, one-to-one support through the process of registration with the Care Inspectorate. Personalisation of the process is integral to the progression of candidates, ensuring they feel fully informed about their future career in childminding, and means they are less likely to drop out.  

Childminders provide high-quality childcare from their home that is nurturing and safe and also provides the flexibility for childminders and their ‘mindees’ to ‘get out and about so that children have chances to learn from real life experiences.  

As with other childcare providers such as nurseries, childminders are guided by the Curriculum for Excellence and are required to follow the values and principles of the 'Getting It Right for Every Child' (GIRFEC) framework, which supports the health and wellbeing of children.  

Graeme McAlister, Chief Executive, Scottish Childminding Association, said: “Childminding is a vital community asset providing local flexible childcare and family support which is so important in remote and rural communities.  The Programme for Scotland’s Childminding Future is an important step towards addressing the urgent demand for high-quality childcare from parents and carers and recruiting childminders in areas where they are most needed. This is a fantastic opportunity for those living in these areas to access a wealth of support in setting up their own sustainable childminding business and to undertake a rewarding new career.”