Fighting for affordable childcare funding

At today's Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work committee, Councillor Louise Young spoke up for young people and families who currently benefit from wrap-around support to enable employment opportunities.

During the last meeting, Councillor Young called for a pause of the review into Affordable Childcare Contracts to ensure that no-one fell through the gaps.

Upon the report coming back before councillors, Councillor Young today proposed using the underspend to set up a “transitional fund” which will directly support low-income working families at a citywide level who are making use of employability services, regardless of the childcare situation.

The amendment was accepted cross-party, with the exception of the SNP who proposed their own amendment.

This transition funding will give certainty to the families who need it most over the next three years.

Speaking to the proposal, Almond Councillor Louise Young said "Regardless of the hours worked by parents and carers, we need to ensure stability for their young people. Poverty prevention is vitally important and if we as a Council can help the current childcare providers evolve their model and ensure that Affordable Childcare Funding follows this the child. The three providers in communities with high deprivation do incredibly important work."