Category

• Promising Local Practice

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Poverty impact

• Prevention
• Mitigation
• Reduction
• Awareness

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Poverty driver

• Reduce cost of living
• Provide benefit in-kind (material)
• Provide benefit in-kind (experience)
• Increase employment income

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Keywords

• Lived Experience
• Stigma
• Employment
• Empowerment
• Community Engagement

Aim

Aims to remove childcare as a barrier to parental employment by providing flexible, high-quality care that reflects parents real working patterns, such as shift work and variable hours. The project aims to support the delivery of funded early learning and childcare hours that are adaptable to working families flexible needs. Additionally, the project strives to reduce child poverty and narrow the attainment gap by ensuring provision is accessible in areas of high deprivation where traditional providers of childcare are difficult to access.

Summary

The project delivers flexible, affordable childcare, allowing families to book only the hours they need, use funded early learning and childcare hours flexibly, and adapt childcare around irregular or changing work and study patterns. The project helps to mitigate childcare as a barrier to parental employment, particularly for families on low incomes or in insecure work. The model operates on a pay-as-you-go basis, offers hourly bookings, and is embedded within regulated early learning and childcare provision, combining high-quality childcare with a focus on improving family financial security.

What difference does it make?

• Parents have been able to move into employment or increase their working hours because childcare is flexible around their work.
• Families are financially better off as a result of using the flexible childcare model.
• Household income has increased, with impact figures showing money being put back into families’ pockets.
• Families save money because they only pay for the childcare hours they actually need.
• Childcare has become more accessible for families in insecure, low-paid, or shift-based work.
• Stress and pressure on families has reduced because childcare fits their real working patterns.
• Children experience greater stability because families no longer need to use multiple carers.
• Flexible childcare removes childcare as a barrier to employment.
• Parents are able to move into work, increase hours, or sustain employment.
• Families are financially better off because they only pay for the childcare they actually need.
• Money is put back into families’ pockets, improving household stability.
• Parents are less stressed about juggling childcare, bills, and basic living costs.
• Families can afford essentials such as food, heating, and clothing more easily.
• Parents can spend quality time with their children and do normal family activities.
• Children experience greater stability and wellbeing.

Key take-aways

• Other childcare providers should offer a proportion of their places flexibly rather than only fixed blocks.
• Flexible childcare should be built into local authority procurement requirements.
• Childcare providers should recognise that flexibility can be sustainable if services operate at the right scale.
• Providers should focus on selling spare capacity flexibly rather than leaving places unused.
• Childcare should be designed around the lived experiences of families inclusive of shift work and insecure employment.

 

Organisations

Flexible Childcare Services Scotland (FCSS).

Location

• Dundee (throughout the city). • Aberdeen (in specific community-based settings). • Aberdeenshire (through local authority area settings). • East Ayrshire (Kilmarnock and surrounding communities). • Moray (Keith and surrounding communities).

Contact