In response to Moray Council's recent press release inviting feedback on proposed changes to early years services, it is important to highlight several critical omissions and misleading statements. We encourage you to complete the survey below:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Early_Years_2025_26

Firstly, the council has not mentioned that the proposed "increase" in hours comes at the expense of a significant reduction in overall service time. By shifting nursery operating hours from 8 AM - 6 PM to 9 AM - 3 PM, the council is in fact reducing the number of available hours, which severely impacts working parents. Furthermore, the option to purchase additional time slots, a crucial aspect for many families, will be abolished - another element conveniently left out of their announcement.

Secondly, there has been no acknowledgment of the plan to cut nursery capacities by up to 50%. This drastic measure will limit the availability of childcare, making it even harder for families to secure places for their children. Additionally, the flexibility of nursery hours, which many families rely on to accommodate varying work schedules, is being removed.

Finally, the council claims “significantly lower attendance during holiday periods” as a justification for these changes. However, this assertion lacks transparent evidence. We have written to Moray Council requesting this data. The council must furnish credible data to support this claim before implementing any changes that will negatively impact the community.