Natalie Don: Childminders are an essential part of the childcare sector, offering a high-quality, nurturing experience to children of all ages, and the Scottish Government is committed to supporting and growing the sector.

We have seen declines in the childminding workforce over recent years – a trend that is mirrored elsewhere in the UK – and we have worked with the Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA) and other partners to understand the reasons behind the decline, and to identify priorities and further steps we can take to better support, recruit and retain childminders.

Backed by over £1m of Scottish Government funding, together with the SCMA we launched the Programme for Scotland’s Childminding Future in June 2024. The Programme will support the recruitment of new professional childminders across Scotland, offering a package of funded support and training in addition to a £750 start-up grant, providing everything needed to establish a new childminding business from home. Aberdeenshire Council are actively involved in the childminder recruitment strand this year, and we are seeing positive engagement and progression from candidates across the local authority area.

The programme also includes a range of measures to address the retention of the childminding workforce, delivering more practical support to ensure our existing professionals are supported with their workloads and professional development.

Natalie Don: Childminders are an essential part of the childcare sector, offering a high-quality, nurturing experience to children of all ages, and the Scottish Government is committed to supporting and growing the sector.

We have seen declines in the childminding workforce over recent years – a trend that is mirrored elsewhere in the UK – and we have worked with the Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA) and other partners to understand the reasons behind the decline, and to identify priorities and further steps we can take to better support, recruit and retain childminders.

Backed by over £1m of Scottish Government funding, together with the SCMA we launched the Programme for Scotland’s Childminding Future in June 2024. The Programme will support the recruitment of new professional childminders across Scotland, offering a package of funded support and training in addition to a £750 start-up grant, providing everything needed to establish a new childminding business from home. Aberdeenshire Council are actively involved in the childminder recruitment strand this year, and we are seeing positive engagement and progression from candidates across the local authority area.

The programme also includes a range of measures to address the retention of the childminding workforce, delivering more practical support to ensure our existing professionals are supported with their workloads and professional development.

Natalie Don: Childminders are an essential part of the childcare sector, offering a high-quality, nurturing experience to children of all ages, and the Scottish Government is committed to supporting and growing the sector.

We have seen declines in the childminding workforce over recent years – a trend that is mirrored elsewhere in the UK – and we have worked with the Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA) and other partners to understand the reasons behind the decline, and to identify priorities and further steps we can take to better support, recruit and retain childminders.

Backed by over £1m of Scottish Government funding, together with the SCMA we launched the Programme for Scotland’s Childminding Future in June 2024. The Programme will support the recruitment of new professional childminders across Scotland, offering a package of funded support and training in addition to a £750 start-up grant, providing everything needed to establish a new childminding business from home. Aberdeenshire Council are actively involved in the childminder recruitment strand this year, and we are seeing positive engagement and progression from candidates across the local authority area.

The programme also includes a range of measures to address the retention of the childminding workforce, delivering more practical support to ensure our existing professionals are supported with their workloads and professional development.

We have seen declines in the childminding workforce over recent years – a trend that is mirrored elsewhere in the UK – and we have worked with the Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA) and other partners to understand the reasons behind the decline, and to identify priorities and further steps we can take to better support, recruit and retain childminders.

Backed by over £1m of Scottish Government funding, together with the SCMA we launched the Programme for Scotland’s Childminding Future in June 2024. The Programme will support the recruitment of new professional childminders across Scotland, offering a package of funded support and training in addition to a £750 start-up grant, providing everything needed to establish a new childminding business from home. Aberdeenshire Council are actively involved in the childminder recruitment strand this year, and we are seeing positive engagement and progression from candidates across the local authority area.

The programme also includes a range of measures to address the retention of the childminding workforce, delivering more practical support to ensure our existing professionals are supported with their workloads and professional development.

Tim Eagle (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government how many licence applications NatureScot received for the culling of (a) Greylag, (b) pink-footed and (c) Canada geese in (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24, broken down by local authority area.

S6W-29052

Jim Fairlie: The information you requested is as follows:

Natalie Don: Childminders are an essential part of the childcare sector, offering a high-quality, nurturing experience to children of all ages, and the Scottish Government is committed to supporting and growing the sector.

We have seen declines in the childminding workforce over recent years – a trend that is mirrored elsewhere in the UK – and we have worked with the Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA) and other partners to understand the reasons behind the decline, and to identify priorities and further steps we can take to better support, recruit and retain childminders.

Backed by over £1m of Scottish Government funding, together with the SCMA we launched the Programme for Scotland’s Childminding Future in June 2024. The Programme will support the recruitment of new professional childminders across Scotland, offering a package of funded support and training in addition to a £750 start-up grant, providing everything needed to establish a new childminding business from home. Aberdeenshire Council are actively involved in the childminder recruitment strand this year, and we are seeing positive engagement and progression from candidates across the local authority area.

The programme also includes a range of measures to address the retention of the childminding workforce, delivering more practical support to ensure our existing professionals are supported with their workloads and professional development.