Nursery disappointment awaits certain families

As many as one in five Fife families could be denied the nursery place they want for their child.

Anxious parents will learn before the end of this month what nursery session has been granted for their pre-school youngsters.

As Fife Council provides the additional hours of early learning and childcare required by the Scottish Government, they were told that only between 80% and 90% would be allocated their first or second choice provision.

The number of hours to which each child is entitled increase from 600 to 1,140 but there are fears many children will be unable to return to their current nursery or attend a nursery other than at their local primary school.

Provision offered includes 9am to 3pm sessions five days a week for 38 weeks of the year, two-and-a-half full days a week for 46 weeks and half day sessions for 49 weeks.

Education and children’s services convener Fay Sinclair said there was particular pressure in those nurseries providing only 9am to 3pm sessions, and where the hours per child were being doubled without physical changes to the buildings to accommodate them. Fife’s Liberal Democrat education spokesman James Calder urged the council to “redouble its efforts” to return as many children as possible to the same nursery.

Mrs Sinclair said everything possible was being done to match families with their preferred option during what was a “difficult and different” year with new challenges.