Council cuts would force parents to move settled nursery children or pay thousands
Campaigning organisations are urging West Lothian Council to drop its proposal to save money by no longer funding early learning and childcare (ELC) places for families who live outside the borders of West Lothian in private, voluntary, and independent (PVI) nurseries.
National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) Scotland along with parent campaigners Pregnant then Screwed say that the proposal to remove funding for cross boundary placements in PVI nurseries is a direct attack on the ELC policy principles of parental choice and funding following the child.
Should the decision be approved, it will leave around 100 families from neighbouring local authorities forced to move their children from settings where they are settled and have built relationships into council nurseries that offer less flexibility and wraparound care for working families. Parents have chosen PVI nurseries because they meet their needs. Removing children from settings where they have already formed attachments with adults and children could be distressing for them.
Many nursery providers will be impacted and may struggle for financial survival. At least one nursery expects to have to close its doors as a direct result of this decision.
Families affected who live in neighbouring council areas such as Falkirk and Edinburgh have not been consulted on this proposal because the council consultation only targeted West Lothian residents.
Tim McLachlan, Chief Executive of National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) wrote to the Chief Executive of West Lothian Council to urge them to drop the plan. He met with senior officials at the council on Friday ahead of the council meeting on Tuesday to outline our concerns.
Tim said: “We told the civil servants that we are extremely concerned about this proposal from West Lothian which will be damaging for children and plunge many families and nurseries into chaos.
“The council’s main interest is in protecting their own services at the greater use of taxpayer’s money. This is at the expense of the PVI sector who can offer families greater flexibility, longer hours and better access to employment and education opportunities for parents.
“What this decision will do is put PVI providers in partnership with the local authority at risk of closure – threatening more places than just the 100 families affected.
“It also risks breaking down reciprocal agreements with other local authorities, meaning West Lothian families who access ELC places outside the area could lose out. This would be against the principles of the nationally funded ELC policy and children’s rights law.
“The council must drop this short sighted budget cut which in the long term would be damaging to children, damaging for families and damaging to the economy if people cannot work in the area without access to flexible childcare.”
Pregnant Then Screwed’s Head of Policy and Campaigns in Scotland, Carole Erskine, said: “We have already heard from parents who would be impacted by this decision and are very worried about what this means for their childcare arrangements. Parents need certainty when it comes to childcare, and this move by West Lothian would have a major impact on families.
“When this change was made in Edinburgh, parents had to scramble for alternative provision that often didn’t suit their child’s needs. Many reported their childcare costs increasing, while others had longer commutes that make balancing work and childcare incredibly difficult. In these cases we know it is the mothers who pick up the slack and reduce their hours.
“Early Learning and Childcare cannot be used to cut costs. We urge councillors to reject this proposal and protect the choices that families currently have by choosing a childcare setting that works best for them.”
Although funding children from neighbouring local authorities is non-statutory, for the vast majority of councils there are reciprocal arrangements in place which give parents more choice and enable many to send their child to a closer nursery if they live near boundaries.
Andrew Carr of First Adventures Nursery in Linlithgow is NDNA’s chair for the West Lothian network of nurseries. He said: “Several families at First Adventures would be affected by the proposal to reduce the range of flexible childcare options for families being considered by West Lothian Council. We have NHS workers, local business people and teachers who need flexible childcare options: families who have looked at public settings in their own local authority areas, and in West Lothian, and who have chosen our setting because it meets their needs when those others do not.
“None of them have been consulted by West Lothian Council because they aren’t West Lothian residents: their voice is unheard and their needs have not been properly considered. The Council’s assessment says that nobody returning from maternity leave will be affected by this: I have families who prove this to be untrue.”
Louise Stirton is a parent living in South Queensferry whose child attends First Adventures in Linlithgow. Her family will be directly affected by this proposal.
Louise said: “This would impact our family both my daughters in the nursery. Ella has been going to First Adventures for nearly two years and is thriving. Her development is advanced and we are very happy with the care and experience that the nursery is providing. Ella is settled, supported, happy and full of joy going to nursery. Our intention would be to keep them both there until school.
“We could not get a place at nursery for either child in South Queensferry where we live as there is only one provider with a three-year waiting list. We also have heard that our council nursery that offers wraparound care, which we need as we both work full time, is full with a year-long waiting list. We chose Linlithgow because it works for our family.
“Ella is entitled to funding from August. The move to strip funding from Ella when she has strong established relationships with both peers and staff, feels safe in the environment and at such a crucial time in her development seems very cruel. I am very concerned that it would impact her wellbeing.
“The decision would also give us very little notice to find a funded place in our local authority as most places will have been secured. This is about money in budgets and not about our children’s wellbeing and development, let alone about supporting parents to work and pay tax.”
Louise Licznerski is the owner and director of Little Bugs Abercorn, a small family-run outdoor nursery situated directly on the border between West Lothian and the City of Edinburgh.
“The proposal to cut cross boundary funding would be deeply damaging for our families” Louise said. “Many have already experienced disruption due to recent council changes, and this decision would force children out of settled, trusted environments purely because of administrative boundaries. It removes meaningful parental choice and places council convenience above children’s wellbeing and best interests.
“Little Bugs Abercorn provides a genuine alternative to traditional early learning and childcare. Children spend their days outdoors, supporting physical health, emotional wellbeing and meaningful engagement with learning, while developing resilience, an understanding of land stewardship and a strong connection to nature. This is a well-established, health-promoting model that supports children’s wellbeing and is deliberately chosen by families.
“Local authorities are entrusted with this funding to support children, not to restrict access based on postcode. Preventing families from using their entitlement where it works best for their child undermines that responsibility and risks dismantling valued, community-based provision.
“This proposal has the potential to destroy what we have built for our community and diverts focus away from children and families towards unnecessary bureaucracy. I urge the council to reconsider the real human impact of this decision.”
The debate and vote will be at the full council meeting on February 24.
Andrew Carr has also launched a change.org petition Defend funding follows the child in West Lothian which you can sign here https://c.org/PKqQQ2GNyH.
From the national perspective of the funded ELC policy, Tim McLachlan added: “We are seeing more and more issues with local authorities squeezing ELC budgets due to chronic shortfalls and severe financial pressures. This funding must follow the child to meet the intentions of the national ELC policy.
“The reality of the funding’s failure to translate into the successful delivery of the 1140 hour policy has potential to impact children all over Scotland. Alongside COSLA, we are prepared to address this at the highest level with the Scottish Government to protect our valuable PVI providers.”
- Scotland
- Budget
- childcare
- early education
- early years
- Funding follows the Child
- NDNA
- NDNA Scotland
- nurseries
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