Hello,
Although West Lothian Council went ahead with its proposal to end cross boundary funding in PVI settings, NDNA has been working hard to bring this issue before national decision makers and to do everything we can to have it unmade. And we have been making progress!
Decision makers at Holyrood have agreed that fixing barriers to cross boundary funding is a "first step" in any childcare expansion: they declared it to be their first order of business. NDNA are pushing for that commitment to be a direct and timely one to the 100 families affected by this.
On the 27th of May a debate on the expansion of funded childcare took place in the Scottish Parliament and cross party support for Funding Follows the Child led to an amendment from the Scottish Green Party being accepted. That amendment says:
[...] 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 [...]
The full motion can be read here
The full debate can be watched here (it's worth it)
Following this, and building on an earlier call from Gillian Mackay MSP regarding the immediate business of the incoming administration, NDNA have launched our "100 Days for 100 Families" campaign. You can check out some of NDNA's Instagram posts here and here (also available on the NDNA Facebook page).
Across the Central Belt over a hundred families have under 100 days to make new childcare arrangements because of West Lothian Council's refusal to follow Funding Follows the Child.
Help us count down every one of those days by following and supporting NDNA's "100 Days" campaign. If you have a story to tell about how this has affected you that you would like to share as part of this campaign, please reach out and get in touch with NDNA's West Lothian Network Chair Andrew Carr at 100days@firstadventures.co.uk .
Help us defend Funding Follows the Child!
Andrew Carr
West Lothian Network Chair
National Day Nurseries Association