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Pre-school nursery hours to increase in Scotland Pre-school nursery hours to increase in Scotland
(about 11 hours later)
Plans to increase free pre-school childcare are expected to be spelled out by the Scottish government. Plans to increase free pre-school childcare have been spelled out by the Scottish government.
The Children and Young People Bill will entitle three and four year olds to 600 hours of free early learning nursery education per year. The Children and Young People Bill will entitle three and four-year-olds to 600 hours of free early learning nursery education per year.
That is an increase from the 475 hours a year of nursery care children can currently receive without cost, though many parents pay for extra hours. That is an increase from the 475 hours of nursery care children can currently receive each year without cost.
The bill will also cover vulnerable two year olds. And an extra £10m will be allocated to organisations working closely with children, young people and families.
One aim of the proposals is to help children. Aileen Campbell, the minister for children and young people, said the funding was in addition to the £20m which had already been set aside over the next two years for prevention and early intervention.
Another aim is to make it easier for parents to work or go into education or training. Under the bill, looked-after two-year-olds, and those with a kinship care order, will receive the same entitlement as three and four-year-olds.
The bill was put out to public consultation last summer and the Scottish government is likely to argue that it is creating the most flexible package of family support in the UK to help parents, children and the wider economy. The proposals aim to help children and make it easier for parents to work or go into education or training.
The bill was put out to public consultation last summer.