A quarter of parents in the Outer Hebrides say they won't have any more children because of the lack of childcare available on the islands

A quarter of parents in the Outer Hebrides have decided not to have any more children because of a lack of childcare, a survey has found.

Organised by Western Isles MSP Alasdair Allan, the questionnaire also found that nearly a fifth admitted they were having to delay having more babies for the same reason.

Throughout May, SNP politician Dr Allan conducted an online survey of 270 parents and carers of children aged under five across the Western Isles. Now he has shared the results on his website.

The poll found that the majority of families with young children are concerned about accessing the childcare they require.

Eighty-two per cent of respondents said they and/or their partner couldn’t work as many hours as they wanted because there wasn’t adequate childcare provision, while a quarter said they had decided not to have any more children as a result of childcare access issues. 

Some 19 per cent said they were having to delay having more children.

The islands are the worst hit area for depopulation in Scotland, with Dr Allan arguing childcare ­workers are vital and the issue must be tackled.

‘The results demonstrate clearly the extent of the issue at hand, with most Western Isles families unable to have their childcare needs fully met at present, mainly due to a lack of capacity or the absence of any childcare provision locally,’ he said.

‘Progress must be made at a local level on this issue, as it has wide-reaching consequences. The present situation is exacerbating the pressure on our public services, including the NHS, schools, and local authority nursery settings, as staff are often unable to return to work as planned after their own maternity leave.

‘It is also affecting the health of the local economy, with 82 per cent of respondents reporting that either they or their partner was not able to work as many hours as they wanted to directly as a result of not having access to childcare.

‘Some parents have even had to close down their own businesses.’ There are now only nine nursery places available for newborns up to two-year-olds in Lewis, and many local childminders have waiting lists of up to two years.

No childminders are currently operating in Barra or Harris.

Council nurseries across the islands are also under significant pressure, with workforce recruitment and retention difficulties as well as capacity challenges.

Dr Allan’s survey found that only 15 per cent of parents with children under the age of five in the Western Isles felt they were able to have their childcare needs fully met at present.

Of those who took part, 41 per cent said their needs were not being met and 43 per cent said they were only being partly met.

Scottish Government-funded childcare covers 1,140 hours a year for all three to four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds, with the provision due to be rolled out in phases to all one to two-year-olds across Scotland.

However, childcare places have been becoming more and more in demand across the Western Isles, due in part to a decline in the number of childminders operating, as well as last year’s closure by the University of the Highlands and Islands of the An Cotan Childcare Centre in Stornoway.

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