When Skye Jolly arrived in the small village of Aberlour, she faced a familiar dilemma for Scottish parents: choosing between her job and childcare.
Private childminders are often critical for working parents. They offer flexibility that traditional childcare centres can't while remaining subject to high standards and regular inspections.
Once Mrs Jolly realised that there was no childcare in her village, she had to quit her job with the NHS.
Then she went a step further.
“I thought: If I'm in this position, a lot of other people will probably be in the same position.”
So, in 2022, Mrs Jolly became one of 47 new childminders who started new services with support from the Scottish Childminding Association's (SCMA) Rural Childminding Partnership.
But that only scratches the surface of Scotland’s shortage.
The number of childminders in the country has dropped by 34 per cent since 2016. And the SCMA estimates that the rate of decline could double by 2026 if left unchecked.
