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Edinburgh childcare funding change 'harsh' but only option under 'dramatic' cuts

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
Published date12 April 2024
AuthorDonald Turvill
Publication titleEdinburghLive (Scotland)
Cllr Joan Griffiths said a £6m cut to the city's early years budget meant the council had to prioritise funding places for local children and "bringing services in-house and developing our own early years centres to longer, flexible days"

She also hit out at "misinformation that we're stopping children who are already in early years centres," adding: "That's not the case."

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The council says limiting early learning and childcare cross boundary places to just its own nurseries will save £1.2m.

The change - taking effect from August - will only impact new placements, with existing funded children continuing to be supported.

A report explained: "Existing funded children who are not Edinburgh residents will continue to be funded. If they have a younger sibling who attends the setting and will be eligible for funding during session 2024-25, we will also fund this child to prevent the need for the parent to use more than one ELC setting.

"Parents who are not Edinburgh residents and require full day all year-round provision to work in the city will be able to access this in one of our full year 8am – 6pm local authority settings."

However parents set to be impacted have criticised the move. Mum Fiona Donnachie, who lives in West Lothian and travels into Edinburgh for work, said if the cut goes ahead "I would need to consider my working hours".

She said due to "huge" waiting lists for private and independent nurseries in West Lothian getting a local funded place for her son Flynn would be unlikely and council-run centres would be unlikely to provide the hours needed.

Flora Ranachan, who lives "just on the other side of the...

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