Posted: 20.02.2003
Embargo Monday 24th February 2003

On publication of two new studies on childcare support for Scottish lone parent students, One Parent Families Scotland is calling for consistent standards across the country and improvement in the support offered to lone parent students at Scottish universities.

A survey conducted in late 2002 by the lone parent charity shows how lone parents studying at further education colleges receive more support than those studying at a higher level in Universities, and describes gaps in the current system.

"Lone parents at college or university have to juggle family responsibilities with study in their quest for qualifications," comments OPFS Director Sue Robertson.

"Finding and affording childcare is a major problem. The students and intending students who ring our free help-line are keen to obtain better qualifications in order to get a job that will support their family. Childcare problems are often the reason that stops them."

"We welcome the extra funding that has been made available in recent years, such as the Further Education Childcare Fund. Our study shows that some colleges and universities have made excellent use of this money, and are providing strong support and encouragement to lone parents."

"But lone parent students still face specific problems, such as nursery opening times that don't allow for early or late classes, insufficient childcare money for parents with more than one child, and lack of support for part-time students. Sometimes decisions about childcare funding are not made until late in the first term, although nursery fees have to paid from before the start of study."

"Five colleges and six universities were completely unable to provide us with any information about childcare support, and we had to spend a long time chasing the information at other institutions."

"Lone parents should not be faced with such a paper chase. Some places, such as Lauder College in Fife, are already providing excellent support, and we are calling for this good practice to be extended to all colleges and universities."

One Parent Families Scotland welcomed the publication of Scottish Executive research on childcare support for lone parent students, pointing out that it highlights many similar issues.

In particular they back the call for lone parent support networks, to ensure that students make full use of existing support and that support staff in colleges and universities can learn from best practice.

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NOTES:

Read the OPFS report: Matching Childcare & Study (PDF - 190kb)

Further reading available from the Scottish Executive:
Social Research Findings and the Full Research.

One Parent Families Scotland is the national body providing advice, information and support for the 170,000 lone parents in Scotland.

Our freephone helpline is on 0800 018 5026