Infrastructure Investment Plan 2015: progress report 2018-2019

Early Learning And Childcare

Overview

• The Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) expansion programme will expand the entitlement to funded ELC from 600 to 1,140 hours per year for all 3 and 4-year olds and for eligible 2-year olds from August 2020.
• The expansion planning process was undertaken in a collaborative manner between the Scottish Government and local authorities. This enabled Scottish Ministers and COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) to reach agreement on a multi-year funding package for the ELC expansion programme.
• The Scottish Government will provide local authorities with £476 million of capital funding to support the expansion, over four financial years from 2017-18 to 2020-21 inclusive.
• The ELC expansion programme will comprise of around 750 capital projects including the refurbishment and/or extension of existing facilities, the provision of new standalone facilities as well as investing in outdoor ELC capacity. Together this will secure around 22,000 additional registered ELC places within the public sector.
• The Scottish Futures Trust is supporting both the Scottish Government and local authorities with the infrastructure elements of the ELC expansion programme.

Progress

• As at January 2019, 69 refurbishment projects, 10 extension projects and 12 new build projects have been completed, delivering an additional 1,982 ELC places.