Mum calls for Scottish Government to offer free childcare from nine months as families struggle with cost

A mum is urging the Scottish Government to step in and ease the “financial burden” on families by providing free childcare from nine months old.

Julie Fraser was inspired to speak out on the issue as she prepared to return to work in July 2023 after giving birth to her son, Ramsay.

However the 34-year-old and her husband from Banchory, Aberdeenshire were left shocked by the high cost as they prepared to look for childcare for their young son.

Currently, mothers in Scotland receive nine months of statutory maternity pay after giving birth, with many returning to work after this period.

Julie Fraser launched the campaign after she was shocked by the cost of childcare when planning to return to work. Julie Fraser

However, there is currently no early learning or childcare funding available for many young families in Scotland until their child turns three, at which point they qualify for 30 hours per week of term time funded early learning care (ELC).

This leaves many parents left to shoulder the full cost of childcare for children for around two years while they return to the workforce.

Julie believes if funding is introduced at nine months old, it will alleviate the financial pressures felt by many families across Scotland and encourage mothers to return to work.

She told STV News: “Everybody speaks about how expensive nursery is but you don’t really know until you have children.

“When we got the prices through we realised it would cost about £80 a day, which is over £1,000 a month. It is really expensive.

“It made me think about the injustice of it all. We are lucky enough to be in the position to pay for private nursery, but not everyone is.

“This means that many women are forced to give up their careers or work less because of the financial burden on families.

“I know people who have had to take out loans to pay for childcare. After chatting to one friend about her experience she encouraged me to start the petition.”

The mum-of-one believes without the change in funding, many young children could miss out on vital social development opportunities.

After gaining more than 8,000 signatures, the Scottish Government’s Public Petitions Committee will discuss the campaign on October 30.

Julie said: “This is one step closer to getting this discussed at parliament and making sure families get what they need.

“Everyone is trying to cope with the financial strain caused by the cost of living crisis. It has taken a lot of work to get here but this is a significant moment.

“If the change is made it will have an astronomical impact. I can’t imagine what it will do for children.

“It is hard to put into words how positive this would be for families. It would relive them of financial stress, allow woman to return to work without sacrificing their career and stop parents from going into debt.

“There are so many benefits to this.”

In May, it was announced that £16m will be injected into six Early Adopter Communities in Glasgow, Inverclyde, Clackmannanshire, and Dundee.

These projects will expand into Fife and Shetland over the next two years, with the aim of supporting families with children from the early years to the end of primary school.

The Scottish Government has also confirmed it is working on expanding the national offering for families with two-year-olds.

A spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government is continuing to prioritise investment in funded early learning and childcare (ELC) by providing almost £1bn a year.

“Scotland is the only part of the UK that already offers 30 hours per week in term time of funded ELC to all three and four-year-olds and around a quarter of two-year-olds, regardless of whether their parents are working or not. That is because we are committed to promoting equality for all Scotland’s children, putting their interests first.

“We are also providing £16m investment over two years in six Early Adopter Communities to build our understanding of what models of childcare work best for children and their families in local communities as we develop our future plans for expanding access to childcare in Scotland.“

To read the petition click here