Bold childcare plans need to work in the real world

ARENTS in Glasgow could have been forgiven for taking a jaundiced view of a pre-election pledge by the Scottish Government to double its offer of free childcare. The city’s council had retained in-house the bulk of the money made available to local authorities to fund the programme, leading to frustration. So it is good news Glasgow has removed the cap on funding places in the private sector. But it is not alone. Parents across Scotland have had difficulty accessing places offering hours that work for them, while a lack of portability meant they cannot seek more flexibility in the private sector.

The policy itself is laudable. Evidence that experiences in the early years can help shape a child for success in later life is overwhelming. But getting the balance right between flexibility, quality and affordability is tricky.

A promise of 1,100 hours a year of free early years education for three to five-year-olds is excellent in principle. But in many areas too few places are on offer in “partner” nurseries in the private sector. Critics say the budget has been cut, but councils have also, inexplicably, underspent by £140 million the money provided for free nursery provision.

Meanwhile, Freedom of Information requests by the group Fair Funding for our Kids (FFK) found councils short-changing private nurseries by as much as £492 a child, while 65 per cent of places on offer across the country were in nurseries which offered a maximum of half a day. FFK claims 650 new nurseries will be needed to deliver the Government’s pledge.

Good quality, affordable childcare could transform the economy, encouraging a generation of mothers back into the workforce. It could help tackle poverty and give thousands of children the best possible grounding for formal education. But other councils must follow Glasgow’s lead and all involved need to work together to make this ideal policy on paper work for real-world parents.