The Care Inspectorate has today published a review on the progress made in providing free early learning and childcare to three and four year-olds across Scotland.

The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 increased the amount of free early learning and childcare available to three and four year-olds from 475 hours per year to 600. It also widened this entitlement to eligible two year-olds.

The Care Inspectorate has published a review which shows how well this increase has been implemented by local authorities across Scotland and identifies some emerging evidence from Care Inspectorate inspections which have emerged since the Act came into force. It also highlights examples of good practice and issues arising from the expansion. 

The review notes: “It is clear that local authorities generally fulfilled their obligation to offer all eligible children their entitlement. This is a significant achievement in itself.”  

It adds: “At the same time local authorities need to ensure that each eligible child, whose parent/s want this, can realistically receive their entitlement. This can be achieved by local authorities allowing more flexibility regarding the length of sessions and bringing more private nurseries, playgroups and childminders into early learning and childcare partnership. 

“For two year-olds local authorities should consider private nurseries, playgroups and childminders as potentially optimum placements for some individual children.” 

Karen Reid, chief executive of the Care Inspectorate said: “This review highlights the effective practice we have found in order to help the sector continue to implement the provisions in the Act effectively, and meet the needs of children and their parents.  

“We hope that by sharing good practice, this initial review can act as a catalyst for innovation and improvement for local authorities, and service providers, in order to achieve maximum benefit for families.

“It is also intended to enhance understanding by all stakeholders, including individual parents and practitioners, of the complexity of our current early learning and childcare system and the factors involved in changing and improving it. 

"We will continue to look at the impact of the changes on our inspections this year and report on what that has meant for children. We know that high quality early learning and childcare supports children to do well at school and helps reduce health and social inequalities across Scotland."