In a move set to devolve more budgetary power to local authorities, theScottish Government, after consultation with CoSLA, will stop issuing'advisory floors', which since 2002 have set a minimum level forpre-school education places. Instead, it will be up to each localauthority to decide funding.
The Scottish Government wrote to all local authority education andfinance directors last week to advise them of the plan. It said, 'Itwill be for authorities to decide what constitutes an appropriate levelto pay partner providers for a pre-school education place, taking intoaccount cost trends in the sector and local economic conditions.'
It also stressed 'the evidence that exists regarding the closeconnection between funding, workforce quality and outcomes for childrenin the pre-school sector.'
National Day Nurseries Association Scotland said that while recognisingthe move gave greater flexibility to local authorities, they wereconcerned that PVI settings would receive lower levels of funding thanmaintained nurseries or funding would remain 'stagnant'.
It was crucial that the move did not affect the sustainability ofnurseries by leading to inadequate funding levels, they said.
Earlier this month Edinburgh council said it would fail to meet a 2010target to increase free nursery provision to 570 hours a year withoutmore funding from the Scottish Government (News, 10 July).
NDNA chief executive Purnima Tanuku said, 'Without stringent guidancestressing the importance of equality across sectors, private nurseriescould effectively lose out under the system, or not see year- on-yearincremental rises that will be needed to cover the cost of a move to anextended entitlement, inflation, and a workforce led at SCQF Level9.'
She said local authorities would need support to ensure they understandthe cost pressures and trends faced by PVI providers.
NDNA Scotland is supporting the growth of local networks to help PVIproviders talk to local authorities with 'one voice'.
Further information
'Association of Infant Child Care with Infant Feeding Practices andWeight Gain Among US Infants' is in the July issue of Archives ofPediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.