11/09/2026
We're delighted to announce that SOSCN has secured a fund of up to £1 million from the Scottish Government to deliver the School Age Childcare Support Fund in 2026/27.
The School Age Childcare Support Fund, administered by SOSCN, will provide short-term financial support to families experiencing temporary financial difficulties.
Registered school age childcare (SACC) services can apply on behalf of eligible families to help cover childcare costs where a family is at risk of losing their childcare place, requires additional childcare, or is unable to access childcare due to financial difficulty.
Funding can be used to cover school age childcare fees at Care Inspectorate-registered SACC services, including breakfast clubs, after school clubs and holiday clubs.
Awards can cover up to 10 weeks of school age childcare support at a time.
Eligibility
The Fund is designed to support families where the cost or availability of childcare is a barrier, including circumstances such as:
- Increasing working, studying or training hours
- Preventing the loss of working, studying or training hours
- Looking for work or attending job interviews
- Following unemployment or redundancy
- Managing short-term financial strain (e.g. unexpected bill, home repair or car repair)
- Supporting the family during a period of ill health
- Supporting the family following bereavement
- Supporting the family with caring responsibilities
The Fund will focus particularly on families most at risk of poverty, including the priority family groups identified in the Scottish Government's Bringing Hope, Building Futures: Tackling child poverty delivery plan 2026 - 2031:
- Lone parent family
- Minority ethnic family
- Family with a disabled adult or child
- Larger family (three or more children)
- Family with a child under one year old
- Family with a mother aged under 25
Although not excluded from the fund, families in receipt of Universal Credit childcare costs are advised to speak to their work coach before an application is made on their behalf.
We will shortly be opening the Fund to eligible Care Inspectorate-registered SACC services across Scotland. Providers will be able to apply on behalf of eligible families who need short-term financial support.
More information will be shared shortly.
