Buckie councillor welcomes Audit Scotland plaudits for childcare expansion
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AN independent watchdog has praised the Scottish Government for the implementation of its flagship free childcare expansion policy.
Audit Scotland has said that the majority of infrastructure projects and recruitment required to implement the 1140-hour expansion for three and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds has been successfully completed.
This appraisal came in the same week that new figures showed 303,000 children are in receipt of the Scottish Government’s “game changing” Scottish Child Payment giving families £25 a week, per eligible child, straight to their pockets.
An IPPR report has also praised the Scottish Government’s ELC policy for its positive impact in tackling poverty, citing that at least 10,000 people were held above the poverty line, over 2017–20, by the incomes earned while children were in free childcare.
The impact of the childcare expansion policy in Moray was hailed by Buckie SNP councillor and former Moray Council education committee chairwoman Sonya Warren.
She said: "The rollout of the 1140 hours has been a huge support to families with young children here in Moray.
"It has enabled many mums to return to work without having to face huge childcare bills.
"The added flexibility of the extra hours has also been a game changer. During term time this means that the children can be in nursery or with a childminder for six hours a day for five days a week, or adapted hours to suit the families.
"The demand for places in Moray has been phenomenal. Some children build up to full days, over the term and other have split placements with childminders who also offer a fantastic service. The social skills and peer learning that children learn whilst having fun playing together is so valuable and really helps our children develop well in the foundation stages of their early learning pathway.
"All the children have their free lunch together, which also provides many different learning opportunities and interesting conversations but also ensures that every child has a healthy, nutritious meal each day. This is another financial boost to families as the cost of living crisis sets in.
"I'm pleased that Audit Scotland recognises the benefits of this scheme as we evidently see here in Moray."
