Children in Scotland calls for clarity as expansion delayed due to coronavirus.

The Scottish Government must not lose sight of its childcare commitments during the coronavirus outbreak, a charity has said.

Children in Scotland issued the warning after ministers removed the legal obligation for councils to deliver additional hours of funded childcare from August.

In a joint statement, children’s minister Maree Todd and Cosla’s Stephen McCabe said the statutory duty to provide 1,140 hours of early learning and childcare would be suspended amid the “exceptional circumstances” caused by the pandemic.

The statement notes that tens of thousands of children have already benefited from childcare expansion, which is expected to continue “when normal provision resumes”.

Children in Scotland CEO Jackie Brock said the government’s decision was understandable in light of the ongoing crisis.

However, she cautioned: “We are concerned that inconsistency of service delivery – with no given date as to a new deadline for all local councils in Scotland to comply – will make it difficult for childcare providers to manage families’ expectations at a time of extreme stress for households across Scotland.”

Ms Brock added: “The phasing system that was implemented last year giving approximately 50,000 children 1,140 hours of funded childcare ahead of the national rollout now has the potential to create tensions and dispute.

“We should remember that the Scottish Government’s originally stated commitment in 2017 to double provision was part of a plan to address health inequalities in children and reduce health, education and employment inequalities later in life.

“And while Children in Scotland is mindful of the ‘exceptional circumstances’ that have contributed to the removal of the August 2020 deadline, we must not lose sight of the mission to improve outcomes for children in the long term. The delay of a universal provision of 1,140 hours threatens to create even greater obstacles for families to overcome.”

Ms Brock highlighted a recent report from Audit Scotland which suggested only half the nursery staff needed to expand services had been recruited, and that additional building work would be required to support the extra capacity.

She asked: “What stage is this work at, and how much of the £567m given to local authorities to deliver the nursery pledge is left to recruit the 4,000 additional full-time staff as the coronavirus brings all non-essential activity to a pause?”

Children in Scotland is now urging the government to use the delay to focus on additional recruitment and training, as well as identifying “enhancements” that will maximise learning and play opportunities for young children once the expansion resumes.

Ms Brock said: “In our 11 March statement on the findings of the Audit Scotland report we said: ‘We believe that the quality of childcare on offer is the vital element of this expansion, and that the experience of the child – particularly given the significant increase in hours – is central’.”

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