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| MSPs to debate flexibility of free childcare system | MSPs to debate flexibility of free childcare system |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Thousands of children in Scotland are missing out on free nursery places, the Scottish Conservative Party will say in a debate at Holyrood. | Thousands of children in Scotland are missing out on free nursery places, the Scottish Conservative Party will say in a debate at Holyrood. |
| Tory MSP Liz Smith believes many parents have not been able to secure the flexible care they need. | Tory MSP Liz Smith believes many parents have not been able to secure the flexible care they need. |
| The Scottish government offers three and four-year-olds 600 hours of funded nursery provision per year. | The Scottish government offers three and four-year-olds 600 hours of funded nursery provision per year. |
| Acting Minister for Children and Young People, Fiona McLeod, said she would look closely at the issue. | |
| Ms Smith, who is the Conservative's education spokeswoman, insisted that only some of the children entitled to free childcare in Scotland were actually getting it. | Ms Smith, who is the Conservative's education spokeswoman, insisted that only some of the children entitled to free childcare in Scotland were actually getting it. |
| She believed that around one in five children were not getting a funded place. | She believed that around one in five children were not getting a funded place. |
| Ms Smith added: "The Scottish government maintains that there has been a registration of 98.5% but that registration doesn't in any way mean that there is an actual uptake of the place. | Ms Smith added: "The Scottish government maintains that there has been a registration of 98.5% but that registration doesn't in any way mean that there is an actual uptake of the place. |
| "We think it is around one in five. In Glasgow we know that there are around 2,802 that had registered with partnership nurseries but the number of funded places was only 2,089. | "We think it is around one in five. In Glasgow we know that there are around 2,802 that had registered with partnership nurseries but the number of funded places was only 2,089. |
| "In East Lothian, out of a survey of 23 nurseries, only 335 out of 673 eligible children actually had their funding." | "In East Lothian, out of a survey of 23 nurseries, only 335 out of 673 eligible children actually had their funding." |
| 'Short sessions' | 'Short sessions' |
| Kelda Bryson, who is a parent campaigning for more flexible childcare, said that council-run nurseries offering short sessions were not viable for working parents. | Kelda Bryson, who is a parent campaigning for more flexible childcare, said that council-run nurseries offering short sessions were not viable for working parents. |
| The mother-of-three added: "The Scottish government gives every child in Scotland this legal entitlement to 600 hours of childcare. This works well for many parents who can access their childcare through council-run nurseries. | The mother-of-three added: "The Scottish government gives every child in Scotland this legal entitlement to 600 hours of childcare. This works well for many parents who can access their childcare through council-run nurseries. |
| "But for working families, where both parents work, a council-run nursery with a short session of two to three hours simply isn't viable to use, so we use private nurseries with longer opening hours. | "But for working families, where both parents work, a council-run nursery with a short session of two to three hours simply isn't viable to use, so we use private nurseries with longer opening hours. |
| "The councils have mechanisms in place where children get funding towards that [private] place but what often happens is that funding is not available, so parents using private nurseries get no contribution towards their child's care." | "The councils have mechanisms in place where children get funding towards that [private] place but what often happens is that funding is not available, so parents using private nurseries get no contribution towards their child's care." |
| Ms McLeod told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme that the Scottish government had made it a "statutory responsibility" of local authorities to go out every two years and consult with parents in their localities. | Ms McLeod told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme that the Scottish government had made it a "statutory responsibility" of local authorities to go out every two years and consult with parents in their localities. |
| She added: "This is a very ambitious policy. It is very important that we look at this as a phased and sustainable journey. | She added: "This is a very ambitious policy. It is very important that we look at this as a phased and sustainable journey. |
| "By 2020, we hope we will be able to offer every three and four year old, and all our vulnerable two year olds, the same number of hours as free early learning childcare as we give in primary." | "By 2020, we hope we will be able to offer every three and four year old, and all our vulnerable two year olds, the same number of hours as free early learning childcare as we give in primary." |