New Deer parents faced with giving up work when the village’s only childminder closes are taking matters into their own hands to conquer the “crisis”.
Jill Birnie, Caroline Palmer-Hay and Jayne French are leading the charge in a race against time to secure tens of thousands of pounds.
They want to start a new initiative known as the “New Deer Bairns Bothy” to ensure people don’t have to quit jobs or reduce their hours to stay home with their little ones.
It comes after Aberdeenshire Council announced that all of its out of school clubs would close this summer, including one in neighbouring Mintlaw.
The cash-strapped local authority said the services were operating at a £700,000 loss.
Why are New Deer parents starting their own childcare service?
Jill, a mum of three who has lived in New Deer for 12 years, told us why she is helping to spearhead the community effort.
She said the village has always had a shortage of childcare options.
Jill explained: “We have no private nurseries. Most of the childcare in the area is provided by childminders… But there are not a lot of those available either.
“One childminder saw around 45 families come through their doors, but she will close come August and there will be no childcare at all in our village.”
She added: “There are one or two others in outlying areas and in neighbouring villages, but they are all very full and it is very difficult to get a space.”
So what are parents doing about it?
Jill and other parents are joining forces to launch the “New Deer Bairns’ Bothy”.
In a bid to raise money for it, a sponsored walk took place over the weekend.
Children put on their welly boots and bunny ears as they took part in the Easter activity around New Deer.
And there are more fundraisers planned, with cash needed to secure a premises and register with care watchdogs.
But once it’s up and running, the group think it will become “self-sustaining”.
Start up costs are expected to be close to £20,000 to cover wages and rent, with long-term contingency costs of up to £100,000.
This would cover the possibility of buying or renovating a building in the village.
Jill also explained that the group will have room for 20 children per session.
But it will take more than money…
Of course, there is more to starting a childcare service than just raising money to get it off the ground.
Jill explained that she would take the lead role, with two other full-time qualified staff to join the project if they raise enough money.
However the group are against the clock to raise funds.
Jill said: “We will need to be open by August before the school year begins, and the childcare situation becomes dire.”
What will happen to New Deer parents without childcare in village?
Jill tells us that the changes could have a “dramatic” impact on people’s careers if their campaign doesn’t come together.
She even fears it could lead to a village exodus, with many opting to move elsewhere.
The mum said: “For many of these mums it means they are going to have to give up work or potentially look at reducing hours…
“It’s dramatically going to affect people’s careers if they don’t arrange other childcare.
“Without having childcare in the village, so many people can’t work. We want people to come and live in our village.”
‘We’ve got a good community spirit in New Deer’
She continued: “We don’t want to see our village fall in the same way that a lot of other small places do in that they lose their school, or they lose their shops because people have to move…”
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The group so far has raised more than £1,200.
“New Deer Bairns’ Bothy” leaders are still looking for urgent funding to get their cause off the ground, with their JustGiving page available here.
Jill added: “A lot of people want to see it happen.
“We’ve got a good community spirit in New Deer. There are lots of interested people saying they will do what they can to help.”
In the aftermath of the Aberdeenshire Council cuts, a pair of Aberdeen mums explained how they had started their own service:
‘It is possible’: Aberdeen mums who lost after-school care on how they set up their own
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