Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government and COSLA Leaders agreed on a multi-year revenue and capital funding package to deliver the expansion in funded Early Learning and Childcare entitlement to 1140 hours by 2020.

As set out in the funding allocation letter that issued to local authorities on 1 May 2018, this funding reflected local authority estimates of the full costs of delivery within their area as set out in their March 2018 finance templates (less adjustments which were agreed with COSLA Leaders to ensure consistency in the source of population projections and in the application of agreed capital funding principles to proposed new build projects).

Local authority finance templates reflected local variations in service delivery costs, including factors such as rurality, deprivation, and estimated trends in the number of children with additional support needs.

Local authorities have already received additional funding in 2017-18 and 2018-19 to support capacity building required for the expansion to 1140 hours by 2020. This has been allocated as grant specific funding and, as set out in the revenue funding allocation letter which issued to local authorities on 22 February 2018, one of the uses to which the funding is to be applied is for enhanced provision for children with additional support needs.

In addition, an Early Learning and Childcare Inclusion Fund has been set up to help cover one-off costs associated with delivering ELC to a child with ASN. Individual settings will be able to bid into the fund to help cover the costs associated with staff training, as well as resources, equipment and adaptations. The fund will distribute up to £500,000 in total per annum over four years to ELC settings delivering the funded hours.