Scottish families are currently facing some of the highest childcare costs in Europe. The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 promises every 3 and 4 year old and vulnerable 2 year olds 600 hours of free Early Years and Childcare provision per year. This is so that children can enjoy the many benefits of Early Years education and their parents, particularly women, can be encouraged to work by reducing the cost of childcare.

Local Authorities have a statutory duty to make this provision available to every eligible child in their jurisdiction whose parents wish it.

Glasgow City Council has chosen to offer this provision mainly as daily 3 hour, term time only sessions in council run nurseries and does not guarantee a funded place for all children attending partnership nurseries.

Of the nearly twelve thousand free places currently offered to 3 and 4 year olds in council nurseries, less than two thousand offer parents the option of extending their free sessions to cover the working day. In these circumstances, the only choice for many parents who are working or wish to work are partnership nurseries because they simply cannot use a council place that only offers 3 hours of childcare per day.

It is well established that continuity of care is vital for the emotional wellbeing of young children, but Glasgow City Council’s current model of provision is forcing parents to unsettle and move their children in order to chase their entitlement.

Most children in partnership nurseries begin attending long before they turn 3 and become eligible for a funded place. Because there are a limited number of funded places available in partnership nurseries, parents are being told that they must move their children from a settled environment where they have formed attachments, in order to secure funding. In many cases there are no nursery places available that offer hours to cover the working day, so the Government promised Early Years entitlement is made unavailable to children whose parents wish to work.

This is an unacceptable model of provision that is detrimental to the children and families that the Early Years and Childcare entitlement is envisioned to help, and does not fulfill Glasgow City Council’s duty to make this entitlement available to every eligible child.

We believe that Glasgow City Council should guarantee every eligible child attending a partnership nursery a funded place so that they can be sure of accessing their entitlement of 600 hours of free childcare per year without disrupting their care and education, or their parent's ability to work.

Please sign our petition and let Glasgow City Council know that the current system is not delivering the promises of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act, and Glasgow’s children and families are being disadvantaged as a result.