Childcare: Half of Scottish mothers say it makes no financial sense to return to work
The Scottish Government is being told to expand funded childcare to help working mothers.
Over half of Scottish mothers say it does not make financial sense to return to work because of the soaring costs of childcare.
The Pregnant Then Screwed charity is calling on the Scottish Government to make childcare funding fairer, just days after John Swinney vowed to establish a “brand new childcare system that fits around families” if the SNP is re-elected in May.
The charity’s state of the nation survey found 66.1 per cent agree or strongly agree that childcare costs are the same or more than their income. A further 51 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that “it doesn’t make financial sense for me to go to work”.
The survey also found 34.5 per cent of mothers choose between paying for childcare and household essentials, and 27.8 per cent have had to rely on some form of debt or savings to pay for childcare.
Pregnant Then Screwed says access to funding early and learning childcare is complex and unequal, with affordability continuing to be a significant barrier to parents.
Parents also report that access is inconsistent, particularly for those who need more than the standard hours or are living in rural areas.
Carole Erskine, head of Scottish policy and campaigns at Pregnant Then Screwed, said: “We’re reaching a breaking point for childcare in Scotland.
“Parents, providers and staff are buckling under the pressure of an underfunded, confusing and complex system that is leaving many Scottish families under significant financial strain.
“With early learning and childcare funding no longer ring-fenced, many councils have moved the goalposts as they struggle to balance their books.
“This often forces parents to make significant changes to their work roles or quit altogether. Others are forced into debt to make ends meet.”
She added: “The spirit of universal funded childcare from the age of three has been lost in Scotland, and parents are losing faith in the system to offer them the support they need.
“Changes to when a child can access funded childcare disproportionately affects women, as mums are more often the primary carers.”
In the vast majority of local authority areas, parents are no longer able to access funding on their child’s birthday - instead, they must wait for the school term after they turn three which means some parents are forced to pay for months of extra childcare.
This is the case for Eilidh and her son Òran in Perthshire. Òran was born on April 4, 2024 but Perth and Kinross Council is only offering funded childcare from August 2027, 19 weeks after the family was expecting to get support.
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This will cost the family £2,500. Once she takes into account her daughter’s after-school care, Eilidh earns just £34 a day.
Elsewhere, Edinburgh Council has changed the rules to remove funded childcare places for children living outside the local authority area. West Lothian Council has just voted to follow suit.
Research from Glasgow University’s centre for public policy has found parents in Edinburgh are having to change jobs, adjust their working hours or make longer journeys to make childcare work because of this, and said the decision has led to one nursery on the edge of the city closing.
Pregnant Then Screwed says funded childcare should be expanded to offer 15 hours a week for babies between 9 months and 1 year, followed by 15 hours for all 2 year olds and 30 hours for 2 year olds from low income households.
They also want the government to cap childcare costs at 5 per cent of a family’s income.
A spokesman for Perth and Kinross Council said: “We are committed to providing high-quality early learning and childcare services across the region.
“Perth and Kinross Council offers 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare each year for eligible children in line with the statutory dates set by the Scottish Government, ensuring families have access to quality care and education.”
SNP MSP Fulton McGregor added: “Since the SNP government came to office, we have transformed childcare in Scotland.
“But we have heard the calls from parents across the country who are struggling to juggle work and childcare, who are struggling with costs and who want the system to work around their needs.
“That is why the First Minister confirmed that the SNP will extend childcare for every child from 9 months until the end of primary school, all year round, meaning every family gets financial support, from between £1,400 to over £11,000 depending on need.
“A re-elected SNP government will finish the job on childcare, support parents with the cost-of-living and deliver the best start in life for our children.”
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