Scottish Government Debate: Expanding Childcare

Scottish Government Debate: Expanding Childcare Màiri McAllan S7M-00128 That the Parliament believes that every child deserves the best start in life and that a child’s earliest years are crucial in their development; recognises the importance of high quality, accessible and affordable childcare in tackling poverty, supporting employment opportunities for parents, supporting child development and driving inclusive economic growth; acknowledges the Scottish Government’s investment in early learning and childcare to date, and supports its aim to extend year-round childcare support to every child from nine months old to the end of primary school. Further details available for S7M-00128 Katherine Sangster S7M-00128.2 As an amendment to motion S7M-00128 in the name of Màiri McAllan (Expanding Childcare), leave out from “acknowledges” to end and insert “further recognises that the Scottish Government needs to do more to reduce the costs of childcare for working parents, improve the flexibility of the childcare system, support childminders and give parents more choice and control over the childcare that works for their family, and calls on it to set out a fully costed delivery plan and timeline for its commitment to extend year-round childcare support to every child from nine months old to the end of primary school. Further details available for S7M-00128.2 Maggie Chapman S7M-00128.1 As an amendment to motion S7M-00128 in the name of Màiri McAllan (Expanding Childcare), insert at end "and further agrees that as a first step towards this expansion, the Scottish Government and COSLA must work together to ensure that cross-border placements are available across Scotland, that all children can access the current funded hours the week rather than term after the child's relevant birthday, and that the required flexibility in provision will only be achieved with proper workforce planning." Further details available for S7M-00128.1 Meghan Gallacher S7M-00128.4 As an amendment to motion S7M-00128 in the name of Màiri McAllan (Expanding Childcare), leave out from “acknowledges” to end and insert "notes with concern that many families still face limited availability and choice of early learning facilities and high childcare costs, which is a barrier particularly for mothers seeking to return to work; understands that the funded childcare current model has resulted in wage inequalities, a severe decline in childminders and unfair distribution of funding between local authority-run nurseries and the private, voluntary and independent sector; believes that, should the Scottish Government wish to extend childcare policy, it should fix the current funding model and address staff shortages within the sector, and calls on the Scottish Government to publish a clear and properly-funded timetable for expanding childcare support from nine-months-old, with reassurances of working with the sector, detailing any learnings from the pilot scheme they said they would introduce in 2023." Further details available for S7M-00128.4 Willie Rennie S7M-00128.3 As an amendment to motion S7M-00128 in the name of Màiri McAllan (Expanding Childcare), leave out from "and supports" to end and insert “but notes that parents must be provided with the choice that they were promised as part of the rollout of 1,140 hours of funded childcare by introducing fairer rates for private, voluntary and independent providers to cover the actual costs of delivering high-quality early learning and childcare (ELC); believes that working families need to be prioritised in any extension of ELC funding, starting with shifting the 1,140 funded hours to start on a child’s third birthday, thus treating this as a critical part of our economic infrastructure that would help parents return to work, close the gender pay gap and raise additional tax revenues; calls for local authorities to be brought together to strike a partnership agreement that ensures parents who live in one council area but work in another have choice on where their child attends nursery, thus guaranteeing that funding really does follow the child; considers that childcare options in remote and rural areas can be more limited; therefore believes that there needs to be a new support package for childminders in these areas, and calls on the Scottish Government to make sure that there is no postcode lottery for childcare in Scotland.” Further details available for S7M-00128.3