School age childcare: equality impact assessment

1. Summary of aims and desired outcomes of policy

Title of Policy - School Age Childcare Programme

We know that school age childcare services can play a vital role in enabling parents and carers to access work, addressing economic and social exclusion, offering respite, and providing improved outcomes for children. Conversely, a lack of accessible childcare can exacerbate existing inequalities by creating employment barriers which can limit career progression, keeping parents in lower paid work and often in poverty, while limiting children’s access to the sorts of high-quality experiences enjoyed by children in more affluent households.

The School Age Childcare Programme is a transformational change programme that will deliver our commitment to building a system of school age childcare offering care before and after school, and during the holidays, where those on the lowest incomes will pay nothing.

Directorate: Children and Families

Division : School Age Childcare (SACC)

Team: Building the System

1.1 Our vision

A rights based, dynamic school age childcare offer for children and young people, which supports choice and growth, enabling families and communities to reach their full potential.

1.2 Realising our vision – what our programme will deliver

Scotland will have a system of accessible and affordable school age childcare, providing care before and after school and during the holidays for primary school children from low income households. Children will be able to access healthy and nutritious food as part of this offer.

1.3 Our key drivers

Our key drivers are:

Tackling child poverty:

• parents from targeted families are able to access childcare that supports them to take up, sustain and/or increase their hours of work; and
• reducing barriers to employment by improving access to childcare for targeted families.

Improving outcomes for children and families:

• reducing inequalities which exist in access to a wide range of activities for children from targeted families; and
• improving family wellbeing by supporting and increasing access to integrated childcare, food and activities.

References to ‘targeted families’ in this Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) mean families on the lowest incomes, particularly the six priority family groups identified in the Best Start, Bright Futures Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan.