Rural childcare provision, innovative models and the needs of agricultural families: research

Introduction

This project involved carrying out research with childcare providers to gather their perspectives on rural childcare as a viable business model. A total of nine interviews were conducted with rural childcare providers, the majority of whom are using new and innovative models, to gather evidence to inform the development of a pilot study.

Access to childcare represents a key barrier for women's participation in the agricultural industry, and this research contributes to the Women in Agriculture (WIA) programme by investigating new or flexible models of childcare that could benefit agricultural families in rural and remote areas. This report aims to provide:

• a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities in rural childcare and their relevance to women living and working in the agriculture sector
• evidence to support the development of a rural childcare pilot

Women in Agriculture Taskforce

The research report "Women in farming and the agriculture sector" (2017) found evidence of structural gender discrimination and inequality in the industry.^[1] The Women in Agriculture Taskforce was established by the First Minister and asked to bring forward practical solutions to the issues raised in the research. In 2019, the Taskforce published its final report, which stated that an innovative, flexible approach to providing solutions for childcare in rural areas is essential to realising the full potential of women in agriculture and the rural economy. Access to childcare represents a key barrier for women's participation in the agricultural industry. They recommended:

• the Scottish Government and local authorities must increase the availability and access to formal and informal childcare in rural areas, to better enable women in the Scottish agricultural industry to engage in training, networking and to develop business opportunities
• the Scottish Government and local authorities must consider how childcare services can be more closely tailored to suit demand in rural areas and costed accordingly^[2]

The report identified that agricultural households require childcare outside of standard working hours, particularly at busier times of the year. Flexible, wrap-around childcare is therefore needed to support non-standard or seasonal working patterns: childcare before and after school, and with the option of increased services at busy points in the agricultural year, such as peak lambing and harvest times.

The WIA policy team have identified a need to explore innovative and practical solutions for childcare that are financially sustainable in rural and remote areas to: expand the provision available to farming families and rural communities; engage farming families in discussions around their childcare needs; examine flexible booking options; and consider solutions to rural transport issues.

Aims and objectives

This research examined current forms of rural childcare provision, focusing on flexible and innovative models. It involved carrying out interviews with childcare providers to gather their perspectives on the challenges of rural childcare, the opportunities presented by new models and their economic viability. It addresses the following research questions:

• If there are childcare provision models that are working in rural and remote areas, how and why do they work?
• What would incentivise a childcare provider to set up or expand their services to rural and remote areas?
• If a provider is based in a more populated area, and wanted to move their business, would it still work? What adjustments would be needed?
• What would they need in place to expand their provision in terms of hours, distance, or make it more accessible to those in rural and remote areas?
• Do they have many children from crofting or farming families and what distance do they have to travel?
• What financial challenges have they encountered?