Scotland's first minister and leader of the SNP Nicola Sturgeon outlined the measures as part of the party’s next steps in the ‘childcare revolution’, which would include a £500m investment, if the party is re-elected next month.
Launching the manifesto online, she said, ‘We know that a good education is the best way to give everyone a fair start in life. That begins with the very youngest children.
‘By August this year we will have completed the doubling of free, high quality childcare for three- and four- year-olds and vulnerable two year-olds. This was a priority of the last parliament.
‘In the next parliament we will go further. We will invest more than half a billion pounds in the next stage of the childcare revolution.
‘We will expand free early years education to all one- and two- year-olds from low-income households and we will build a system of wraparound childcare, providing care before and after school all year round. Those on the lowest incomes will pay nothing and other will make fair and affordable contributions.’
Ms Sturgeon also pledged to lift thousands of families and children out of poverty by doubling the Scottish Child Payment to £20 per child per week and providing a cash grant of £250 for every family with children in receipt of free school meals until the full roll out of Scottish Child Payment is complete.
She said, ‘This will help up to 450,000 children across Scotland. It will be a game changer in our national mission to end child poverty.’
On top of this, every primary school pupil in a state-funded schools in Scotland would be provided with’ free school breakfasts and lunches, all year round’, she announced as part of the manifesto.
For Scotland’s youngest children, SNP will continue to provide Baby Boxes for every newborn child. The box contains a package of essentials for a baby’s first weeks and months and safe place for babies to sleep.
Commenting on the SNP manifesto's early years pledges, Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) Scotland, said, ‘We welcome any commitment to invest in children’s learning and supporting families. We know that access to high quality early learning and childcare can make a huge difference to children’s life chances.
‘There are serious challenges about the funding arrangements for the existing offer for eligible two-year-olds and all three- and four-year-olds. The next Scottish Government must make sure any expansion plans to existing childcare commitments are fully costed in line with increased delivery costs. Without the right funding, nurseries will become unsustainable and won’t be there to support families or deliver the high quality ELC that children need.
‘The sector must be fully consulted and engaged with to make sure any expansion plans can be delivered. This must not be done on the cheap and the quality of early learning cannot be compromised. Funding for children should follow that child to the childcare setting that parents choose.
‘Getting ELC right for Scotland’s children means ensuring the funding is right, follows the child to the provider that meets families’ needs and those working with children on the front line are fully supported.’