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About
About us
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What is school age childcare
Children's guide
Parents' guide
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Financial Support to Parents
Essential Guidance For School Age Childcare Services
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Child Protection in School Age Childcare
Play in School Age Childcare
Managing Distressed Behaviour with Trauma‑Informed Practice
GIRFEC and Personal Planning in School Age Childcare
Medication Management in School Age Childcare
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Previous Events
Activity and Wellbeing 29/11/2022
Networking Opportunity
What it Takes
Teaching Stem in OSC
Seeing the Whole Child
Shaping the Framework
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OSC Practice during COVID
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Networking Meetings - May and June 2021
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Delivering a Playful and Active Summer 2021
Scottish Government School Age Childcare Update
Care Inspectorate Update and 'Q and A' Session
SOSCN Members Online Network Meetings - October
Back to basics- financial planning in OSC
Not just a dream
Getting Help with Childcare Costs
Skills Development Funding
A Register for the Future
SSSC Codes of Practice Conversation
Access to Childcare Fund
Getting it Right for Business
Get Ready for Summer
International Learning Session
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Autism Learning Session
COVID-19 Inquiry Discussion
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Jim Taylor Knows Autism - Session 2
Building Resilience Event
Online Membership Catch-up
Support to Pay for Childcare
SOSCN Conference 2024
Induction Training
Managing Distressed Behaviour with Trauma Informed Practice
Quality Improvement Framework for Early Learning and Childcare Sectors
Play Training
Looking back at the past 30+ years of SOSCN - Membership Online Catch-Up
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Supporting School Age Childcare in Scotland
New SOSCN memberships
Find out about our new membership benefits, including policies, bitesize training, and lots more.
Become one of our members and access training, discounts, and join up with other services.
Watch our latest Inspection Round-Up
Inspection round-up looks at recent inspection reports from school age childcare services available on the Care Inspectorate's website, highlighting:
What is working Well?
Recurring areas for improvement.
What does Very Good or Excellent Look Like?
find out more
What we do
How we can help?

We have a range on in-person school age childcare specific training and offer a bespoke consultancy service to help keep your childcare service in good health.

Resources and Templates

We have various templates, toolkits, and sample policies to help you manage your service and meet its regulatory requirements.

Policy and research

As the national intermediary organisation in Scotland for school-age childcare, we are involved in advocacy work on behalf of the sector and provide expert opinion and offer views, on proposals, issues or policies affecting the sector.

Information and Guidance

If you are a parent, carer, child, workforce member, or anyone else with an interest in school age childcare, we provide a range a free guides and materials.

School Age Childcare Specific Training
GIRFEC and Personal Plans
Play in School Age Childcare
Medication Management
Managing Distressed Behaviour with Trauma Informed Practice
Quality Assurance
Our online quality assurance badges will help you aim high in all aspects of your service provision.
find out more
Information
Financial Support to Parents
Essential Guidance For School Age Childcare Services
Business Support
Wellbeing in OSC
UNCRC explained
Play
Regulation
SSSC
Regulation of the out of school care workforce
Care Inspectorate
Regulation and inspection of out of school care services
PVG Scheme
Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme<
Finding Childcare
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sick pay
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Pensions
Adverse Weather and Extreme Temperature
video (DVD) licences
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Free Downloads
Summer Activities Booklet
A variety of resources and activities for fun holiday experiences
Published: 10-06-2024
Parent Finance
Customisable posters to help you advertise to your parents how much your service could actually cost if they access Universal Credit or Tax-Free childcare
Published: 10-06-2024
Parent Finance October 2024
October Break 2024 update
Published: 02-09-2024
Financial Support to Parents
Financial Support to Parents
Understanding Financial Support to Parents to Pay for Childcare

Understanding Financial Support to Parents to Pay for Childcare

At present, there is no direct financial support to school age childcare services other than the fees paid by parents, and all too often parents cite the cost of childcare as being unaffordable so do not use it.

What many working parents don't realise is that they will probably be able to access some form of additional financial support from government to help pay for childcare costs; this could vary from 20% (via tax-free childcare system) up to 85% (via universal credit). So, for example, if an afterschool care session costs £12, parents could receive between £2.40 and £10.20 from government to help pay for the place.

Parents attending college or university may also be eligible for support to cover the costs of childcare.

The following document highlights the various financial support options to parents to pay for childcare.

Full document: https://soscn.org/downloads/news/financial-support-to-pay-for-childcare.pdf

Accompanying Leaflet: https://soscn.org/downloads/news/financial-support-leaflet.pdf

latest updates
Inspection Round-up Jan 2026
Medication Management in School Age Childcare
GIRFEC and Personal Planning in School Age Childcare
Managing Distressed Behaviour with Trauma‑Informed Practice
Play in School Age Childcare
Staff Interactions with Children
Safe Staffing
Outdoor Play in Winter
Quality improvement framework for early learning and childcare sectors
Workforce Survey 2024
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