Nursery Vouchers

That the Parliament notes the recent survey by the Family and Childcare Trust, which stated that fewer than one in six councils in Scotland had enough childcare capacity to meet the needs of working parents; recognises that most council-run nurseries do not provide the flexibility needed by working parents; believes that, in order to help more parents remain in, or re-enter, the workforce, parents need to be able to take up their child’s nursery entitlement at an establishment offering hours that fit in with their working patterns; welcomes the Scottish Government’s pledge to give every three and four-year-old 600 hours of government-funded nursery provision, but is concerned that too many parents are unable to access their entitlement due to the hours or location on offer from local authorities, and therefore calls on the Scottish Government to introduce greater flexibility into the system through a virtual childcare voucher to ensure that all children in Scotland are guaranteed their entitlement by allowing parents to use any nursery that meets Education Scotland’s and the Care Inspectorate’s standards.