£125k to support childcare providers in Moray with Covid-19 costs
CHILDCARE providers in Moray have so far received £125k to help meet the costs of operating within Covid-19 guidelines.
Moray Council has passed on cash from the Scottish Government’s Transitional Support Fund to 24 childcare settings, and more are expected to apply. Childminders are being supported separately, through the Childminding Workforce Support Fund.
A focus on outdoor play to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus, and to allow adults to socially distance more easily, is being encouraged - and the funding is helping to make that happen.
The amount of money awarded to each setting is determined by the number of Care Inspectorate approved places offered to families and ranges from £1,500 to £8,000.
RAF Lossiemouth’s Childcare Centre has received £8,000, which is being used to support outdoor learning, providing outdoor accessories, warm and waterproof clothing, creation of shelters and small tents to protect against the weather and to take on forest and beach days. The money will also allow the centre to create a part-time cleaner post to maintain the high level of cleaning required under new guidelines.
Centre Manager, Debbie Parker-Banfield, said: “Like others in the sector, we’ve had to remodel the way we offer our childcare services, and it’s been a challenging time. Staff, children and their families have all been supportive and adaptable, and have settled into our new way of operating incredibly well.
“Keeping our children and colleagues safe is our priority, and this funding has been vital in addressing the hidden costs associated with the new regulations. A lot of work has gone in behind the scenes to make our setting as safe as possible, and this has been the case since March as we operated as an ELC keyworker hub during the nationwide lockdown, supporting more than 55 children and allowing their keyworker parents and carers to do continue their important work.”
Moray Council’s Senior Project Manager for Early Learning and Childcare, Robin Paterson, said: “For so many, childcare has been the backbone of the response to the pandemic and the new guidelines, though necessary, do require childcare providers to change the way they would normally work.
“I’m pleased to see so many have taken the opportunity to apply for this funding, which is allowing them to continue to offer much-needed high-quality childcare for families in Moray, in a safe and sustainable way.
“Childcare providers have given us positive feedback on this funding stream with simple application process, and we encourage all eligible providers to take advantage of this scheme and apply for funding before the 9 October deadline.”