by Lucy Ashton
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today used a visit to a sports club to set out how his party will give parents more choice and help juggling work and family through funded early learning and childcare.
They would ensure families can access flexible, affordable and fair early learning and childcare (ELC). As well as protecting the existing entitlements and ensuring they better fit around parents’ needs, the party’s manifesto will say that the next steps for expansion should be targeted at working parents and those entering work when funding allows.
This would include:
- Shifting the 1140 funded hours of ELC so that it starts on a child’s third birthday.
- Working with local authorities to ensure that parents who live in one council area but work in another can choose where their child attends nursery, guaranteeing that funding really does follow the child.
- Introducing a new support package for childminders in rural and remote areas.
- Increasing take-up of ELC among eligible two-year-olds.
Alex Cole-Hamilton, left, said: “Every child deserves the best start in life and the chance to flourish, no matter their background or personal circumstances. They need opportunities to have fun, discover their talents and grow in confidence and ambition.
“In a modern, 21st-century Scotland, parents should have the full support of the government in balancing their careers with having children.
“Right now, there are too many gaps in childcare, and too many families are struggling to make ends meet.
“They should have real choice and flexibility over how to organise their lives and return to work if they want to. This should be backed up by increased support for private, voluntary and independent nurseries, preventing a loss of staff from the sector and giving parents more choice when accessing childcare.
“It would also be the shot in the arm that our economy needs. If parents are better supported with childcare costs, they will find it easier to return to work, which will, in turn, raise tax revenues and increase the money available for public services.
“We aim to make Scotland the best place to grow up or raise children by ensuring proper support is available whenever and wherever families need it. If that sounds good to you, you should back Scottish Liberal Democrats on your second preference regional ballot paper.”