Children unsettled, family hardship and no evidence of money saved – the reality of West Lothian’s childcare policy
Family life has been turned upside down with children’s suffering plain to see in the survey responses of parents whose children have been forced to move nurseries due to a council’s attempts at penny pinching.
The survey carried out by National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) Scotland and Pregnant then Screwed Scotland reveals the impact of West Lothian Council’s decision to refuse funded early learning and childcare places for 103 children in private and voluntary nurseries.
This is because these families live in a neighbouring council, despite the funding coming from a national policy.
This decision has led to distressing upheaval for the families, including some actually moving house. Others are determined to keep their children where they are happy, so they are trying to afford to pay privately. Kind-hearted providers in some cases have waived part or all of these fees because they believe it is morally wrong to move the settled children to council-run nurseries.
NDNA’s calculations show that this policy prioritising ‘savings’ over children’s wellbeing is not improving the council’s finances. In a consultation, which excluded affected families, West Lothian promised this policy would save £800k per year.
Information released following an FOI request by NDNA’s West Lothian Network showed that the numbers of cross-boundary children in council-run nurseries had dropped rather than increased. As a result, funding from the Scottish Government for delivering the policy is likely to decrease.
Tim McLachlan, Chief Executive of NDNA, said: “Among the harrowing responses on how this needless decision has affected children, we learned of friendships torn apart, unsettled children regressing in their potty training and families struggling to make ends meet.
“It’s an appalling picture and traumatic to hear from these parents who, like all parents, just want what is best for their children. Some of the parents actually work within West Lothian council but are still unable to claim funding for their children.
“The decision by the council looks even worse when you realise it has not delivered savings. The money paid for the funded childcare depends on the number of children in settings. With those numbers falling, so too is the income for the council.
“I warned the council’s leadership that this wouldn’t make them any savings and presented our evidence. They went ahead anyway and we have the nightmare lose, lose, lose situation. Children have lost trusted relationships and vital progress, families have lost out financially and the council will lose funding from Scottish Government.
“Decisions on funded childcare should prioritise children’s wellbeing, stability and individual needs rather than be driven by invisible local authority boundaries that cut across the complexities of real family life. It’s not too late for West Lothian to see sense and to do the right thing: offer a reciprocal arrangement to children who live across their council boundary. This is in the spirit of the Scottish Government guidance and which works well across almost all local authorities.”
Following lobbying from NDNA Scotland and Andrew Carr, NDNA’s West Lothian network chair and owner of First Adventures Nursery in Linlithgow, the issue was debated in Holyrood in May. MSPs agreed a motion in Parliament for the Scottish Government to work with local authorities to ensure families can access childcare placements across council boundaries.
Mr Carr has analysed the funding received by West Lothian Council. He said: “It is not possible to make a saving this way, they are confusing revenue with savings. The money does not come from the council, it is received from the Scottish Government. This is not passed on to PVI settings in full, councils retain the difference between the lower rate they pay to PVI settings and the higher rate of funding they receive.
“In West Lothian’s case, those 103 children whose families had chosen a PVI setting would have meant the Council would have been able to retain around £175,000. The numbers of children in their council-run nurseries has also reduced so their overall revenue has also decreased.
“We are supporting children at our setting who would otherwise have had to leave halfway through their two-year placement by providing an equivalent amount of uncharged provision. This is not a something we should have to be doing, but in our decision-making, children and families come first.”
Carole Erskine, Head of Policy and Campaigns in Scotland for Pregnant Then Screwed, said: “A number of parents contacted us to express their concern at these cross boundary changes and the impact it would have on their families. We heard from several mothers who thought they’d have to reduce their hours, or consider giving up their job altogether, as they could not find childcare that would fit with their working hours. They were devastated to be put in this position. While many were concerned about the impact on their child of having to move to a different childcare setting.
“Decisions like this disproportionately impact women and they feel the impact the hardest. We would urge West Lothian Council to reverse this decision.”
Lawrence Fitzpatrick, leader of West Lothian Council said in his letter to NDNA CEO Tim McLachlan: “I cannot agree that the preference of 100 families regarding where they access childcare can be prioritised over all other need.”
Later in the letter he added, “I am well aware of your concerns as these have been stated clearly in advance of, during, and subsequent to the budget deliberations of the Council, and as my position on this matter has not changed.”
32 families responded to the survey. Here are the key findings:
Disruption to Attachment, Stability and Emotional Wellbeing
· Children lost long-established relationships with staff.
· Children experienced distress during transition with concerns centred on emotional development, social development and toileting.
· Parents felt children’s emotional wellbeing was not adequately considered in the decision-making process.
· Parents perceived developmental setbacks after changing settings.
Loss of Relationships, Friendships and Sense of Belonging
· Children lost established friendship groups.
· Children were separated from trusted adults who knew them well.
· Some struggled to form friendships in new settings.
· Parents reported reduced sense of belonging and confidence.
· Some children had attended their nursery since infancy, making the disruption particularly significant.
Financial Hardship and Reduced Access to Early Learning
· Families are self-funding places to avoid disrupting their child’s development.
· Parents reported reductions in household spending and financial security.
· Children are attending nursery for fewer hours due to cost pressures.
· Some families have relied on savings or support from extended family.
· Several respondents emphasised that funded entitlement is not accessible in practice.
Impact on Employment, Family Logistics and Life Decisions
· Parents have reduced working hours to manage childcare arrangements.
· Some reported changing jobs or considering doing so.
· Alternative funded settings often do not align with working patterns.
· Families experienced longer journeys and more complex drop-off arrangements.
· Some families have moved or are considering moving home because of childcare funding restrictions.
Read some of the comments from parents affected by this decision:
“Our child has been extremely upset and unsettled due to the move from the nursery he attended in Linlithgow since he was 10 months old. He has also had a slight regression in his potty training. This is our 5th week at his new nursery and he has only just stopped crying everyday at drop off.”
“We got a report card for her new nursery and it said she had not achieved any of the markers such as emotional regulation, writing her own name, making friends. She had a good bond with staff then suddenly had to change to another nursery and didn’t understand why.”
“It has been really upsetting and unsettling for our little one’s last year of nursery before school.”
“He has also been taken away from his friends and close relationships with staff at the previous nursery.”
“My youngest now attends a different nursery to my eldest.”
“We now have 2 children in private funded childcare places which is a massive strain on our family.”
“The nursery place I now have for him [at a council run nursery] is Monday-Friday 8.50am to 2.50pm. This doesn’t fit my working pattern at all.”
“We have made the huge decision to leave our newly renovated home in Falkirk and relocate to West Lothian.”
- Scotland
- childcare
- funding
- Scotland
- West Lothian
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