The promise of 1,140 hours of free early learning and childcare for South Lanarkshire’s 3 and 4 year olds, should be delivered as soon as possible according to Labour.
Labour councillors are demanding the additional 1,140 childcare places are delivered now.
The SNP Government deferred the statutory deadline for completing Scotland’s flagship early years expansion from this month to August 2021 due to the Covid crisis. Despite this, Labour-led North Lanarkshire Council are bucking the trend and powering ahead with the expansion as planned.
Labour councillors believe that every child should have the best start in life and we can help give them that by delivering 100% of the childcare expansion.
South Lanarkshire is falling behind other councils and hundreds of local families are missing out. Labour councillors are calling on the Council to provide the 1140 hours entitlement as soon as possible, bringing South Lanarkshire into line with the Labour-led North at the earliest opportunity.
Councillor Joe Fagan
The leader of South Lanarkshire’s Opposition Labour Group, Councillor Joe Fagan, said:
A whole range of services have been disrupted by the Covid pandemic but we want to get them back on track as soon as possible – and that includes the flagship early years expansion.
We want the SNP to bring South Lanarkshire into line with Labour-led North Lanarkshire Council as a priority and give every eligible child 1140 hours of free early learning and childcare as originally intended.
83 per cent of eligible families are receiving the childcare they would otherwise be entitled to if the Covid crisis hadn’t struck but that means 17 per cent are not.
Labour councillors believe that every child should have the best start in life and we can help give them that by delivering 100% of the childcare expansion.
28 August 2020
