A new nursery in Edinburgh is offering 'corporate packages' so that senior company executives can be certain their children are provided with quality care if they have to attend emergency meetings or go away on business.
Prime Time, which opened on 6 May, will supply members of staff to care for children in their own homes - and companies will pay for it under a form of insurance.
Monica Langa, who founded the nursery with her husband Arturo, said, 'It is for emergencies mainly, but it will mean companies can ensure their key staff can attend meetings without worrying. If the parents have to fly to a business meeting in London or are held up when an accident occurs on the motorway, they can be certain their child is being looked after.'
The nursery, which can accommodate up to 59 children in a lavishly refurbished Georgian house, is currently caring for seven children, who are mainly the sons and daughters of teachers, rather than company executives.
Bronwen Cohen, chief executive of Children in Scotland, said that Prime Time's promise to provide emergency out-of-hours care for senior company staff had highlighted the need for similar care for the children of other less well-paid workers, such as nurses who do shiftwork.
'There is also a work/family issue here,' she said. 'Insofar as companies get involved in helping their staff get childcare, that is a good thing, but it also raises the issue of how long very young children should be cared for in a nursery setting.'
She said the provision of services for those with unusual working arrangements was best served by nurseries 'at a community level'.
Martin Pace, a former early years consultant and managing director of Dolphin Day Nurseries, said, 'There is a market for very high standard childcare and services which meet parents' needs in as comprehensive a way as possible.'
Mrs Langa, a fund manager, and her consultant psychiatrist husband secured a loan of 650,000 from the Bank of Scotland and spent three years planning their nursery, which she said was born out of 'the lack of quality and flexible childcare for parents who are busy professionals'.
The fee of 195 a week includes extras for the children such as haircuts, shoe fitting and having their teeth checked by a dentist. 'We are providing a menu of services which parents can choose from. It means that parents who have been stressed out working all week, or mums who have been busy at home, can enjoy weekends and evenings with their children rather than queuing for ages in a hairdressers,' said Monica Langa.
There is an entire floor devoted to pre-school children aged three and four, complete with an IT suite with computers linked to the internet, a room full of books and an area for cooking, as well as large play areas. Parents also have a designated area where they can wait while their children settle in and discuss their progress with staff.
Monica Langa says she has plans to create similar nurseries in Glasgow, London and Leeds, but the expansion into 'other cities with busy commercial centres' will not take place 'until we have a full nursery here and a healthy waiting list'.
She said, 'Not everybody can afford these types of fees, and we think that what we provide is so different to other nurseries that we do not consider ourselves to be in competition with them.'
However, the director of another nursery chain suggested that Prime Time's provision was not particularly unique.
'Most big nursery chains now provide a menu of services, including even some language teaching, and this has been going on for some time.'