The expansion of funded early learning and childcare (ELC) in Scotland is on course to be delivered from August 2020, says Children’s Minister Maree Todd – but public watchdogs have concerns over the tight timescale.
Backed by an unprecedented £2 billion investment, by the end of the expansion more than 900 nurseries will have been built, extended or refurbished since 2018. Meanwhile, 4,310 additional full-time equivalent staff have also been recruited, resulting in a record 40,000-strong workforce.
From August, all three and four-year-olds and around a quarter of two-year-olds, will be entitled to 1,140 hours a year – almost double the current entitlement of 600 hours.
In response to Audit Scotland report on early learning expansion, Children’s Minister Maree Todd said: “We are on course to deliver the most generous, high quality early learning and childcare offer in the UK, which can transform the lives of children.
“I’ve seen and heard of the way children’s confidence and communication skills have been boosted by the care and learning they’ve received, while they’re also getting access to opportunities such as outdoor learning.
“Through our strong partnership working with local government, so much has already been achieved. There are already thousands of additional staff in post, and councils will continue to grow their teams over the coming months.
“We have also been delivering a large-scale infrastructure programme to provide high quality settings. Hundreds of nurseries have been built or refurbished, with work continuing across the country.
“We are committed to delivering the roll-out from August and councils have contingency plans in place for all critical projects due to complete this summer, so we can be confident that the places will be there to deliver the expansion for Scotland’s children. The expansion also opens up more opportunities for playgroups, private and third sector nurseries, and childminders to be involved in delivering funded hours.
“The quality of ELC provided is absolutely key. That is why we are investing in the workforce and developing improved learning opportunities for them to increase their skills and share best practice.
“With a passionate and dedicated workforce across all parts of the sector, and fantastic places for children to learn and play in a nurturing environment, there has never been a more exciting time for our childcare sector.”
However while plans to boost early learning and childcare (ELC) hours have made steady progress, risks around buildings and staffing remain, say public sector watchdogs.
The watchdog says the Scottish Government and councils are working well together to increase ELC hours from 600 to 1,140 a year from August and the pace of the expansion is broadly in line with plans.
But around half of the building work required is due to be completed over the summer, and about half of the additional ELC staff still need to be recruited. Private and third sector providers – which are expected to deliver over a quarter of the hours – also continue to report significant workforce challenges that threaten their sustainability.
The Scottish Government’s evaluation plans for the expansion are well advanced but challenges remain. For example, it is not clear how the longer-term economic benefits of the policy, or its impact on family wellbeing, will be measured.
Caroline Gardner, Auditor General for Scotland, said: “The Scottish Government and councils have worked well together to increase early learning and childcare hours, and we’ve also seen improvements in how the project will be evaluated.
“But the timeline remains tight and there are big risks around infrastructure and workforce.”
Graham Sharp, Chair of the Accounts Commission said: “Given the amount of work due to be completed over summer 2020, it’s important that councils continue to work closely with the Scottish Government to manage the risks of any delays, including how best to keep parents informed.”
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