Meeting of the Parliament 31 October 2018
I thank the cabinet secretary for that very helpful contribution and clarification.
Confidence in the private sector about delivering the policy is plummeting. That is evidenced in the responses to freedom of information requests from the Conservatives. The chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association has warned:
“Our members are very concerned that the current situation with funded childcare in Scotland means that they won’t even survive to the expansion in 2020.”
In writing to the minister, an area manager of the Kirktonholme Childcare chain warned:
“The partner providers are literally on their knees and I believe this ambitious policy is about to implode”.
The NDNA also reports that only 30 per cent of private nurseries are able to deliver the 1,140 hours of free childcare. We support the extension of childcare to deliver for children and families, but the Scottish Government must own up to the problems that the policy faces and it must get serious about delivering this policy on time.
To repeat what I have already stated, the current childcare system is in urgent need of reform to benefit the mix of private and public providers and, most important of all, families and children.
I move amendment S5M-14521.1, to insert at end:
", and that this action should include publishing data on the size of the current workforce, as well as information on how the Scottish Government expects to meet staffing targets, given that it estimated that up to 11,000 additional early learning and childcare workers will be required by 2020 to deliver the planned expansion."
Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.
- S5M-14521.1 Early Years Motion