Highland key worker childcare provision to be stopped
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Highland Council is to end its provision for key worker childcare on August 10 at the latest.
The decision was made at today’s full council meeting and follows an announcement by the Scottish Government that the requirement for local authorities to provide free key worker childcare ends July 31.
Education settings in the region are aiming for a full return of pupils on August 12.
Schools in Wick and Thurso were among a number of centres set up for the children of key workers in the Highland Council in March after the start of the coronavirus outbreak, when the Scottish Government decided to close all schools and local authority early learning and childcare settings.
Council leader Margaret Davidson said: “I would like to thank our hub volunteers who have dedicated their time to help us to provide this essential service of emergency childcare to key workers across the region.
“I would also like to thank our partners, High Life Highland and Eden Court, who supported our provision of this service. Together, we have been able to create a safe location for Highland children during this period of recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic."
The hubs provided emergency childcare for the remainder of the 2019/20 school year to help key workers. During the summer holiday period the Highland Council area key worker hub network saw provision across more than 50 settings, looking after some 400 children.
