Council / Affordable childcare project to continue in Shetland for second year
A GOVERNMENT pilot project focused on delivering affordable childcare to the West Mainland and North Isles is set to continue for a second year.
The Early Adopter Communities scheme has been extended by the Scottish Government across six areas, including Shetland, for the 2026/27 financial year.
The purpose of the project is to design and test “place-based” approaches to childcare in the isles, with the West Side and North Isles highlighted as particular areas of concern locally.
A briefing given to elected members earlier this month showed that less than a quarter of the £833,000 budget allocation for the financial year had been used up until January.
Councillors were also told that staffing had proven to be a “significant challenge” to the project.
Despite that, the Scottish Government said it was “content” that Shetland was “delivering in line with its grant”.
It added they were “grateful to the project team for exploring and testing innovative models of delivery”, while also “giving careful consideration to issues around operational sustainability in rural contexts”.
Just £197,057 of the £833,000 budget was used on the project up until January 2026, councillors heard this month, with funding only confirmed until the end of March 2026 at that stage.
The council said the underspend reflected a “deliberate and cautious approach to expenditure”, and the need to “clearly evidence value for money”.
It said that underspends were also being confirmed by other areas in the early adopter project.
Shetland West councillor Liz Peterson raised concerns last November that funding for the project was being “frittered away” on one-off activities.
She said she was concerned that there would not be long-term benefits, adding that no plans had been made for a community-led childcare system in the Westside and North Isles – something which she suggested was part of the initial aims.
However the council said that “significant progress” had been made across the West Mainland, including breakfast and after-school clubs at Happyhansel Primary School.
Other achievements included holiday provision at West Mainland Leisure Centre and Friday activity sessions in Sandness.
In the North Isles, the council said it had been able to recruit support workers to Mid Yell and Baltasound for early learning and childcare, as well as delivery of a summer holiday service in Yell and Unst.
But across both the West Side and North Isles, the council said it had been difficult to continue services due to the lack of staff.
“Staffing remains a significant challenge, particularly in rural areas where recruiting and retaining qualified staff is difficult,” it said.
“This has affected the long-term sustainability of some highly valued services, including after-school provision at Happyhansel Primary School and proposed provision in Aith.
“While some services have experienced temporary pauses due to staffing constraints, the provision delivered to date has had a demonstrable positive impact on families.”
Both the Dunrossness and Sandwick out of school clubs had experienced temporary closures due to a lack of staff, the council said, with staffing challenges continuing to affect stability.
“Staffing is central to widening any offer and increasing capacity within settings,” it added.
However the council said that though the project had “taken time to build momentum”, a “deliberate and steady approach has been critical in laying the foundations for long-term sustainability.”
“Taking the time to build relationships, establish trust, and test delivery models has ensured that progress is meaningful rather than rushed,” it said.
“The learning gained through this process will be invaluable for future policy and programme design in rural childcare development.”
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