Nurseries question childcare expansion
PRIVATE nurseries have raised concerns about the Scottish Government’s flagship proposal to expand free childcare.
Ministers have promised to increase free nursery provision from 600 hours to 1140 for three and fouryear-olds and eligible two-year-olds by 2020, the equivalent of 30 hours a week in term time.
The Government struck a £2billion funding deal with councils to deliver the pledge, including a further £476million in funding between 2017/18 and 2020/21 for building work.
But documents collated by the Scottish Conservatives using Freedom of Information requests show some childcare providers are concerned about the impact of the expansion.
A briefing by civil servants shows key issues include lower rates paid to partner providers, a lack of engagement and a lack of access to capital funding.
While local authorities, including Edinburgh, and Highland and Moray, have been praised for their approach to partnership working, other councils have been criticised. The briefing states issues have been raised most often over the last year in Lanarkshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Stirling and Glasgow.
Tory MSP Alison Harris said: “This childcare expansion was launched to huge fanfare but it is clearer by the day that the SNP have no ability to deliver it.”