Keith Play Centre, a 35 place early learning and childcare setting that also provides breakfast and after school care, was set to close after its long standing manager was due to retire.
Carlene Harding had been the Manager of the setting for more than 20 years and had built a strong reputation for quality childcare provision within the local area. Unfortunately, as Carlene approached retirement it looked like the centre would be forced to close.
Childcare provision in rural areas is already scarce, with Coram Family and Childcare noting a decrease in provision in rural areas from 26% in 2021 to 20% in 2022. As this trend continues to escalate, families, particularly women, are being restricted to participate fully in the labour market.
Thankfully Flexible Childcare Services Scotland (FCSS), a national charity that delivers early learning and school age childcare and specialist services for children with additional support needs, heard about the closure and worked with Carlene and Moray Council to save the centre.
FCSS, is a national childcare charity with 15 registered settings in Dundee, Kilmarnock, Aberdeen, Keith and across Aberdeenshire. The charity was created in response to parents who were unable to take up offers of employment, education or training due to a lack of high quality, flexible childcare services.
Carlene, her existing team and the families they supported all saw the merger as a great opportunity and after a number of consultations it was agreed that FCSS would be the new operator.
Susan McGhee, Chief Executive Officer at FCSS said, “We are delighted that we have saved Keith Play Centre from closure! Finding affordable and accessible childcare services is a real challenge for parents, especially in rural areas and by keeping the centre open we know we are supporting local families, helping them to stay in employment or education so that they can achieve better outcomes for themselves and their families.”
Thanks to their intervention the charity has protected 4 jobs, saved 35 childcare spaces and have helped potentially hundreds of local parents to stay in work.
According to Gillian Mitchinson, Current Manager of Strathisla Children’s Centre and incoming Manager of Keith Play Centre, “We are so happy that Keith Play Centre will become a part of Flexible Childcare Services Scotland. While we don’t plan on changing the current service provision at the centre we will be able to support parents with our flexible childcare model which will allow them to create bespoke childcare sessions, add extra time when needed or change their sessions completely in line with their shift patterns or other commitments. This model is actively supporting families to save money on their childcare while helping them to increase their earning potential and we’re looking forward to seeing the benefits that this model will have on more families in Keith.”
