Childcare boost for families in the region

All 36 Early Childhood Centres (ECC) in East Ayrshire are now delivering 1140 hours of funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC), after the completion of the Early Learning and Childcare expansion programme.

In addition, seven funded ELC providers and 40 childminders are on the council’s contract framework to deliver funded ELC.

This means that all three and four-yearolds, and eligible two- year- olds, could benefit from 1140 hours a year of funded Early Learning and Childcare.

That works out at about 30 hours a week if parents and carers use it during school term-time, or around 22 hours a week if used all year-round.

Last September, the council also agreed to fund increased hours in cross boundary places for the children of parents resident in East Ayrshire but who work or study in other local authority areas.

Councillor Fiona Campbell, Cabinet Member for Skills and Learning, said:“Early Learning and Childcare is incredibly important for our parents and carers and our youngest learners.

“Setting a foundation of learning helps to reduce the attainment gap and of course access to Early Learning and Childcare helps parents and carers to remain within the workplace, something that is essential during this time of economic uncertainty.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Early Learning and Childcare expansion delivery team and our contractors who worked in difficult circumstances to ensure that we were in a position to deliver 1140hrs this month.”