14/01/2026

Yesterday, Scotland’s Finance Secretary, Shona Robison MSP, set out her final Scottish Budget ahead of the Scottish Parliament election in May. Presented as a budget “for families” and intended to ease cost-of-living pressures, it came at a time when parents were hoping to see decisive action on childcare: one of the biggest costs facing families in Scotland.

There were several announcements that represent steps in the right direction. These included an increase to the Scottish Child Payment to £40 per week for babies under the age of one, a commitment to open a breakfast club in every primary school, increased investment in wraparound activities in a range of primary schools, and references to increased free sporting activities during the summer holidays to help families manage the “summer juggle”.

While these measures are welcome, they do not address the single biggest financial pressure facing many families: the overall cost of childcare.

Despite the budget being framed as one for families, there was no expansion of the 1140 funded early learning and childcare hours for younger children, and no commitment to end the postcode lottery that determines when children can access their funded entitlement. Currently, parents living just 20 minutes apart can face completely different start dates, with one child accessing funded hours immediately after turning three, while another family must pay for months of additional childcare before support begins.

For many parents, childcare costs outstrip any earnings, making work financially unsustainable. Expanding funded hours for younger children and removing the postcode lottery would have represented the kind of structural reform needed to deliver real change for families.

Responding to yesterday’s budget, Carole Erskine, our Head of Policy and Campaigns said:

“We welcome the announcement that the Scottish Child Payment will increase to £40 a week for children under one year old, and know how important this will be for parents.

“The commitment to open a breakfast club in every school by 2027 will be beneficial to many parents, along with new investment in wraparound childcare during the school day.

“We are also pleased to see that funding will continue for flexible childcare in the Early Adopter Communities, but it is disappointing to see no new commitment to address the crippling cost of childcare for the majority of Scottish families. We know that the cost of childcare is the same or more than many parents earn and had hoped the Scottish Government would address this. Our ‘Scotland’s Childcare Guarantee’ is a fully-costed policy proposal detailing how childcare costs can be reduced.

“We had also hoped the Scottish Government would address the growing post code lottery of when parents can access their funded childcare. It is disappointing to hear that additional funding for councils to address this issue will not be given.

“Parents in Scotland feel they are falling behind the rest of the UK when it comes to childcare support. We had hoped for more from the Scottish Government in this budget to address these concerns.”

 

With the election fast approaching, we will continue to push for childcare reform that is meaningful, and a system that truly supports parents in the workplace.

To read our manifesto asks for the Scottish Election, click here.

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