Island Childcare Working Group

Access to childcare is not a “nice to have”, it is part of the critical infrastructure that enables people to live, work, and raise families in island communities.  Childcare is a key factor in population retention, reducing child poverty, sustaining local services, and ensuring equity of opportunity. The impact of a lack of childcare is particularly acute in island communities.

The Island Childcare Working Group was established to tackle the shared challenges, enable members to work together, to share experience, explore solutions, and strengthen their collective voice in policy development. 

The Group has been working closely with The Scottish Government Islands Team, Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE) and the Care and Learning Alliance (CALA) and has fed in to the Childcare in Rural and Island Communities Evidence Report, published in April 2025.

View our short film about childcare in the islands, produced by the Uist & Barra Childcare Forum HERE

Updates on the work of the group are below. If you would like to get involved, please email kirsty@scottish-islands-federation.co.uk.