All over Scotland, parents are struggling to get by, and others are putting off having children because of soaring costs. Over the next five years, the Scottish Greens will push for the biggest expansion of childcare for a generation.
We are proposing:
- 1,140 hours of funded childcare from the week after a child turns two;
- by the end of this parliament, 570 hours of fully funded childcare for all children aged six months to two years;
- investment in nursery staff and facilities;
- base funding for nurseries and childminders in rural areas, so they can stay open in communities with fewer children.
That last point matters in the Borders, where small village nurseries are too often seen as “under capacity” rather than as the lifeline they are.
If we are to build a more equal Scotland, every child needs access to care, learning and support. Investing in our children is one of the best things we can do.
