Dear all, In early January, we circulated a questionnaire to help us assess whether to continue offering childcare service at RIPE Meetings. While we appreciate those who took the time to respond, the number of responses was relatively low and did not clearly indicate strong or consistent demand across the wider meeting community. This reflects a broader trend we have observed over the past two years, where uptake of the childcare service has remained very low. Given the significant costs involved in providing the service, the current level of participation makes it difficult to sustain in its present format. At the same time, we recognise the importance of making RIPE Meetings accessible to participants with families. Rather than withdrawing support entirely, we will look into alternative ways to assist parents. For the upcoming meeting in Edinburgh, we will share a list of local childcare providers that families can contact and arrange directly, according to their individual needs and preferences. We will continue to review this topic and explore whether a different model or revised criteria could make an organised service viable in the future. Thank you to everyone who took the time to provide feedback. If you have further input you would like us to consider, please feel free to get in touch. Kind regards, The RIPE Meeting Organisation Team