Friday, 07 April 2023

One of the many aspirations that came from the Community Action Plan was to address the lack of any childcare options in the area and in turn, attract young families to the area and boost school rolls. The lack of childcare is a factor in why some families choose primary schools in Inverness as they offer wraparound childcare (breakfast club and after school club). This gives parents flexibility to work. A small school roll can also be off putting to families when considering which school they would like their child to attend.

An action group came together last year to start looking into the problems and find workable solutions. The first thing that happened was a short survey to discover the extent of the issue. The survey revealed that apart from some family members, there is no childcare options in the area and just over 78% of respondents to the survey reported that lack of childcare had affected their employment from a little to a great deal.

The two most popular childcare options from the survey were an after school club and to have a registered childminder/s in the area. Work has been ongoing with the Care and Learning Alliance (CALA) on a feasibility study looking at after school care. There has also been progression with the Scottish childminding association (SCMA); discussions have been taking place to look at supporting someone locally to become a childminder and delighted to say that Stratherrick and Foyers area has been included in SCMA’s recruitment campaign with a fantastic package of fully funded support and training available to one successful applicant, providing everything needed to establish a new childminding business from home. This is a great opportunity for someone.

If interested, please go to - https://www.childminding.org/childminder-recruitment for more information on the scheme and to register your interest.

All participants who successfully enrol onto this childminder recruitment programme will benefit from: 

FREE induction training, one-to-one support and your first year of SCMA membership 

All participants on the project will be enrolled onto SCMA's induction training, which will guide you through every stage of the registration process and establishing your business. You will also be assigned a dedicated member of the SCMA team who will provide one-to-one support, every step of the way. In addition, once induction has been completed and you are fully registered with the Care Inspectorate, you will automatically qualify for a full year of free membership with SCMA, which entitles you to a whole range of exclusive benefits. 

FREE start-up package of three childminding-specific training courses 

Once induction training has been completed and you have applied for registration with the Care Inspectorate, you will have access to the following three e-learning courses from SCMA to help equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to build a successful career in childminding. 

 SCMA Business side of Childminding course 

 SCMA Child Protection in a Childminding Setting course 

 SCMA Parental Involvement Course 

£750* Business Start-Up Grant * 

Once you have completed your induction training and are fully registered with the Care Inspectorate you are likely to want to start purchasing equipment and resources and making adjustments to enable you to establish your childcare setting from home. Your start-up grant will enable you to be reimbursed for some of these purchases.** 

* Minimum amount, the value of the grant may vary in some local authority areas. 

** Conditions apply and proof of purchase will be required before any reimbursements can be made, for further details please see FAQ below. 

Sharon Ferguson, Fundraiser, SFCT

2026

February (2 stories)

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January (12 stories)

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27 January 🌳 Development of Inverfarigaig Forest School 🌳

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26 January 📚 Mobile Library Visiting Tomorrow! 🚐✨

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22 January 🔥 Free Firewood Available – Whitebridge Area 🔥

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20 January Thank you!

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19 January Agenda for Public Meeting - Regarding the Foyers Stores Acquisition

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14 January Apply for our Project Coordinator role

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8 January Notice to the Community: Change of Date for Public Meeting on Foyers Stores

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7 January 🌟 New Year, New Opportunities! 🌟

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6 January 🎉 Calling all community organisers! 🎉

Do you run a class, group or one-off activity in one of the local buildings? We’d love to help spread the word! 💛 Our SFCT Community Calendar is looking a ...

6 January Mobile Library Visit Cancelled – Wednesday 7th January 2026

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