Doubling up on care for the tots

Families with young children attending private, independent or voluntary nurseries, or using childminders, in North Lanarkshire are now entitled to almost double the hours of early learning and childcare their children currently receive.

All funded providers – not including local authority nurseries – have been delivering 1140 hours of early learning and childcare since August as part of a phased pilot project, that’s a year ahead of most other local authorities in rolling out this programme.

A total of 154 funded providers – 41 private, independent and voluntary nurseries and 113 childminders – have been successful in the recent tendering process for the provision of early learning and childcare services for two to five-year-olds in 2019/20.

The development of early learning and childcare is part of a Scottish Government policy to provide all three and four- year- olds, and eligible two-year-olds, with an increase in free childcare from 600 hours to 1140 hours a year by 2020.

Councillor Frank McNally, convener of education and families, said: “We are almost doubling the hours being offered to children attending a funded provider a year earlier than planned.

“This will give parents more flexibility and increased choice. We’ve worked closely with our funded providers to get to this point and I’d like to congratulate everyone involved in their achievements.

“It is part of our overall drive to close the povertyrelated attainment gap while providing the high-quality learning environments.”

Gerard McLaughlin, head of education, added: “The extension to early learning and childcare hours will give parents and carers more choice and flexibility over a pattern that suits them and their child.

“Our focus will be on ensuring we provide high quality and flexible early learning and childcare that is affordable and accessible to all.”

The 1140 hours programme will become statutory across Scotland from August next year.

The Scottish Government has already confirmed that the council will receive £38 million from 2020 in revenue grant funding to support the delivery of the 1140 hours initiative.

For further information v is itwww. north lanarkshire. https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/