Fears over early years funding shortfall

Council officers have admitted they could be facing a funding shortfall to meet their commitments to extended early years provision.

A report on South Lanarkshire Council’s capital programme went before members of the executive committee which outlined Scottish Government plans to increase entitlement to free early learning and childcare (ELC) from 600 hours per year to 1140 hours per year by August 2020.

Local authorities will get a share of capital funding of £400 million over the next three years with £23.2m allocated to South Lanarkshire.

But Independent Group Leader Margaret Cooper questioned whether this cash would be sufficient to meet the target set by Holyrood and officers said they too had concerns.

“There is the issue of early years allocation and we are required to expand provision and I believe that 12 new nurseries and a refurbishment would be needed to fully implement it,”said Councillor Cooper.

“The cost would be £46.5m and we have been given an allocation of just over £23m – that is a shortfall of over £23m.

“I am concerned there is not sufficient funding to put the requirements upon us in place.”

An officer told Cllr Copper they“shared those concerns”but were looking at different options and continuing discussions with the Scottish Government to see if any further funding was available.