Nurseries raise fears over free childcare
PRIVATE nurseries have raised concerns about the Scottish Government’s flagship proposal to expand free childcare.
Ministers pledged to increase free nursery provision from 600 hours to 1,140 hours for three and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds by 2020, equivalent to about 30 hours a week in term time.
The Government struck a £2billion deal with councils, including a further £476million for building work.
But the Scottish Conservatives say a study of documents obtained through Freedom of Information requests show some private nurseries have concerns about the impact of the expansion.
Issues raised include lower rates paid to partner providers, lack of engagement, lack of access to capital funding and little involvement in the expansion of hours.
While some councils, including Edinburgh, Highland and Moray, were praised for their approach to partnership working with private nurseries, other councils were criticised.
A briefing by civil servants states issues have been raised most often in North and
‘Parents will be devastated’
South Lanarkshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Stirling and Glasgow.
Kirktonholme Childcare, which operates 11 nurseries across the Central Belt, wrote to Children’s Minister Maree Todd saying it had been advised it would not get an increase in hourly rates from councils over the next two years.
A survey by the National Day Nurseries Association found many private nurseries do not feel confident sufficient funding will be passed on by local authorities to enable them to deliver the 1,140 hours.
Tory MSP Alison Harris said: ‘The SNP is driving nurseries to breaking point due to low rates, lack of engagement and lack of access to capital funding.
‘The SNP must sort out this mess urgently or childcare providers will be driven out of business and parents relying on this policy will be devastated.’
Mrs Todd said: ‘While there are already good examples of partnership working across Scotland, we know there is a need for this to be strengthened in some areas.
‘This is why we have established an Early Learning and Childcare Partnership Forum with Cosla, bringing local authorities and providers together, driving improvement in partnership working.’