Charity launches manifesto for the best start for Scotland’s children
The National Day Nurseries Association is calling on the next Scottish Government to give children the best start with the right policies in early learning and childcare (ELC).
The proposals include a radical change in the delivery of ELC by ensuring funding follows the child through an online account that parents can use to pay registered childcare providers. This approach to delivering the funded ELC would support the sustainability of providers and underpin parental choice.
The proposals also include measures to put children’s rights at the heart of the policy by ending unequal funding arrangements and introducing greater value for money measures for Scottish taxpayers.
Publishing its manifesto, The Best Start for Scotland’s Children, NDNA is calling for an ELC system that works for children, families and providers. To align with the principle of children’s rights the manifesto calls for national policy decisions to be taken out of the control of local authorities, ensuring high-quality ELC is available in every community.
Focusing on support for the workforce and efforts to maintain high-quality in ELC the manifesto also calls for actions that deliver inspirational early experiences for all children.
The manifesto is published as the latest research for the Scottish Government reveals that the expansion to 1140 hours has not had a significant impact on children’s outcomes.
An independent cost collection exercise by the Diffley Partnership has also revealed that the current funding is not always supporting investment in high-quality. Providers report that “their costs reflect what they can afford to deliver under the current funding model, rather than the true cost of high-quality provision.”
A survey of parents’ experiences show that the majority of parents are happy with the support they are receiving. However, for the minority who are not able to access flexible childcare that meets their needs, this policy is not working for them. This challenge is more acute in rural areas.
Commenting on the launch of the manifesto asks, NDNA’s Chief Executive, Tim McLachlan said:
“The next Scottish Government has an opportunity to learn the lessons of the past and get it right with future early years policy for children and families.
“Our manifesto offers solutions that will truly put children at the heart of this policy. We want the next government to realise the ambitions of delivering funded ELC in a way that supports parental choice and equal opportunities for all children.
“We are seeing too many local authorities make decisions that promote their own settings over other options like private or voluntary nurseries and childminders, which are often better value for taxpayer’s money. Whether that is paying a higher rate for their own provision or preventing parents from attending the setting of their choice.
“Any promise to expand the existing funded offer, whether to younger children or for more hours, must be fully costed. Funding must be allocated, ring-fenced, and the policy developed in full consultation with the sector to ensure proposals are realistic and affordable.
“If Scotland is to realise its ambitions for all children, then we need a system that works for everyone, is properly funded and supports the workforce to deliver the high-quality ELC opportunities we want for all children.”
The survey of over 2,000 parents also revealed that when parents are thinking about choosing an ELC setting, 100% of them base their choice on how confident they feel in the nursery staff team. This underlines the need for investment in the workforce and ensuring councils cannot then undermine this parental choice.
The full asks of the manifesto are:
- Fully aligning the existing funded ELC system with the UNCRC and a children’s rights approach through a national review
- Ensuring that the ELC funding system is truly sustainable for families and providers to ensure all children get the best start
- Embedding fairness and equity in the delivery of funded ELC ensuring that councils are not competing with other providers for the delivery of places and greater transparency on public expenditure in ELC
- An ELC system with an element of universal, fully funded support with more targeted interventions for those who would benefit the most
- Ensuring national policy priorities – such as cross-border places – are a statutory requirement to ensure all children in Scotland benefit from funded ELC in a setting that meets their needs
- Conducting an urgent review of provision and funding for children with Additional Support Needs (ASN) in the early years
- Ensuring funding is genuinely ‘sustainable’ and supports higher pay for the workforce
- Setting out a quality focussed, fully funded workforce strategy
- Funding pilot programmes of specialist training for ASN and staff wellbeing
- Maintaining openness and transparency on inspection and regulatory activity
Costs of Delivering Funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) in Private, Third Sector and Childminding Settings – Diffley Partnership report: https://www.gov.scot/publications/costs-delivering-funded-elc-private-third-sector-childminding-settings/
Funded early learning and childcare – expansion to 1140 hours 2018-2025: National Outcomes evaluation: https://www.gov.scot/publications/expansion-funded-early-learning-childcare-1140-hours-2018-2025-national-outcomes-evaluation/
Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) – parents’ views and use: research findings 2025: https://www.gov.scot/publications/early-learning-childcare-elc-parents-views-use-research-findings-2025/
- Scotland
- Children
- early education
- early years
- ELC
- funding
- Funding follows the Child
- NDNA
- Scotland
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