Craighalbert Highlights Barriers to Early Learning and Childcare at SNP Conference
Heather Gray, our CEO, recently participated in a fringe event at the SNP Conference entitled “Getting Early Years and Childcare Right for Children and Their Families: Taking Stock Ahead of Scotland's ELC Expansion.”
The event, hosted by Family Fund, brought together Siobhan Brown MSP, Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise; Salena Begley MBE, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Family Fund; Lisa Stewart, Expert by Experience; and Carmen Martinez, Policy and Engagement Lead at the Scottish Women's Budget Group.
The session heard from each panel member about the significant difficulties children with multiple and complex additional support needs experience in accessing their entitlement to 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare (ELC). The Minister responded to the points raised, and the panel called for five key recommendations to be taken forward by the Scottish Government.
Highlighting the challenges faced by families
A key message shared by Craighalbert was the significant barriers families of children with highly complex needs face when trying to access suitable nursery provision.
Our findings highlighted that:
70% of parents of children with highly complex needs said they could not access a nursery placement when they requested one.
79% of parents said that the process of securing nursery provision for their child meant they had to give up work, were prevented from working or had to reduce their working hours.
Family Fund's Cost of Caring 2025 research also highlighted the financial and wellbeing pressures facing families raising disabled children on low incomes in Scotland.
Access to suitable childcare is often seen as a way to help tackle poverty, enabling parents and carers to maintain paid employment. However, for families of children with complex needs, accessing childcare is often far from straightforward, with provision frequently unavailable, unaffordable or unsuitable.
Positive developments and the need for continued support
Heather Gray also shared the positive news of the Scottish Government's Childcare Support Fund, designed to improve access to early learning and childcare for children with complex needs.
While welcoming this important development, Heather highlighted the need for consistent core funding to establish and sustain support for families.
Five key recommendations for the Scottish Government
The session collectively called for the following recommendations:
Improve data collection on the demand for, and current availability of, appropriately resourced childcare places for disabled children.
Monitor childcare expansion and provide targeted support to ensure that an increased universal offer meets the unique learning and care needs of disabled children.
Increase affordability, initially by providing additional funded hours for priority families.
Put families' lived experiences at the heart of policy, ensuring that families with disabled children are involved in the design, delivery and evaluation of local and national childcare policy.
Invest in the ELC workforce through fair pay and conditions, specialist training, resources and national best practice support to strengthen provision for disabled children, including those with complex support needs.
At Craighalbert, we remain committed to sharing our specialist knowledge and experience, raising awareness of the challenges facing families and working with partners to improve access to early learning and childcare for children with complex needs across Scotland.
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