Who is affected?
In 2024, the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) introduced a policy that prevents children who live outside the city boundary from accessing their 1,140 hours of funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) in private and voluntary settings in Edinburgh. This has had a devastating impact on over 170 families who live in neighbouring councils but rely on childcare in Edinburgh due to work, family, or logistics. Many of these families have been forced to choose between losing access to trusted childcare settings or paying thousands of pounds in unexpected fees. For some, it has meant reducing working hours, leaving jobs, or facing financial hardship. Mothers and lone parents have been disproportionately affected.

What is at stake?
The council claims this change will save £1.2 million, but information obtained through Freedom of Information requests shows the actual saving could be as low as £36,650. No Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment was carried out before implementing this policy. If this decision is allowed to stand, it sets a dangerous precedent, undermining the national ‘Funding Follows the Child’ policy agreed by the Scottish Government, which promises families the right to choose a funded place in any eligible setting, regardless of local authority borders. It also threatens the stability of the private and voluntary childcare sector in Edinburgh, as cross-boundary placements are a vital part of its sustainability.

Why is now the time to act?
Families are already suffering. Children have been uprooted, nursery settings have closed, and the mental and financial strain is growing. The longer this policy remains in place, the harder it will be to undo the damage. Parents have come together to challenge the council’s decision, and they need your support. We are calling on CEC to reverse this unfair and unlawful policy now, restore access to funded childcare for all eligible families, and respect the national commitment that funding should follow the child. If the CEC gets away with this decision, it will set a precedent for other councils to follow; it’s just one step before access to non-council nurseries will be restricted for everyone. This has already been discussed in Falkirk. We are fighting to make sure that this won’t become the beginning of the end for Funding Follows the Child