Eradicating child poverty

First Minister John Swinney has announced £16 million for childcare services to help deliver his vision of a Scotland free from child poverty.

In a statement to Parliament, the First Minister set out the four priorities that will underpin the work of his government. He said eradicating child poverty would be his government’s single most important objective.

Over the next two years, the Scottish Government will provide additional funding to expand access to childcare services within six Early Adopter Community (EAC) projects.

The funding will allow expansion into to new communities, including in Fife and Shetland, and inform what childcare should look like for younger children. The investment will support the development of local childcare systems that are designed to meet families’ needs, with funding targeted at those who are most at risk of living in poverty.

Earlier today, the First Minister visited a breakfast club at Capshard Primary School in Kirkcaldy to see the impact of innovative school age childcare services which contribute to the eradication of child poverty and grow the economy, by helping parents and carers access the childcare they need to find and sustain good jobs.

Speaking in parliament, the First Minister said:

“In modern Scotland, it should not be a struggle to find fair work or to raise a family. So for me, and for my government, eradicating child poverty and boosting economic growth, go hand in hand.

“Over the next two years, we will invest £16 million to tackle poverty and help families, by expanding access to childcare services within six Early Adopter Community projects. This investment will support low income families to enter and sustain employment, with funding targeted at those who are most at risk of living in poverty.”

Background

Since October 2022, the Scottish Government has been delivering on the commitment to design and build a system of school age childcare through work in four Early Adopter Communities (EAC) in Glasgow, Dundee, Clackmannanshire and Inverclyde.

As announced in Programme for Government 2023-24, the EAC projects are expanding into new communities in Shetland and Fife and will also expand to include younger children.