PREGNANT THEN SCREWED SCOTLAND

In October 2023, with support from Elevate Great, we launched Pregnant Then Screwed Scotland to tackle the barriers parents, especially mothers, face here. The motherhood penalty remains a major issue, fuelled by an expensive, confusing childcare system that forces too many women to cut hours or leave work altogether.

Our small but mighty team is fighting to:

Expose and challenge the motherhood penalty in Scotland
Make childcare affordable and accessible
Reduce motherhood poverty
Improve parental leave
Equalise parenting roles and achieve real gender equality

Ahead of the Scottish Elections in May 2026, we have published our core manifesto asks. Three simple, do-able, and impactful asks that would make a difference for families immediately.

Want to find out what they are? Hit the link!

Read our 2026 manifesto

Scotland's Childcare Guarantee

In September 2025, we modelled for a different, revolutionary childcare system that works for families with the New Economics Foundation. We are calling it ‘Scotland’s Childcare Guarantee’.

Want to find out more? Hit the link.

Find out more

The situation in Scotland

Scotland is in a unique position within the UK when it comes to tackling the motherhood penalty. We want politicians to take action on this, but in Scotland that means lobbying our MPs and MSPs. The Scottish Parliament has responsibility for many areas, including early learning and childcare which is devolved. Meanwhile, other decisions that are made at Westminster have an impact on Scottish mothers and their family. Scotland can and does go its own way in many areas, but there is still a huge amount of frustration amongst Scottish mothers that things could and should be better.

Learn more about Childcare in Scotland

Find out more about the ELC system, the need for our work, devolved vs reserved benefits, maternity leave, paternity leave and childcare issues below

PTS Scotland Strategy

Our strategy for Scotland focuses on three big goals: building an affordable, high-quality childcare system, securing a fairer parental leave package, and expanding our free advice and support services for mums facing discrimination. Together, these changes will transform life for parents in Scotland – and we need your support to make it happen.

Find out more here

Find out about our work in Scotland

In October 2023, with special thanks to Elevate Great (formerly Cattanach), we launched Pregnant Then Screwed Scotland to navigate the specific barriers that exist for parents – especially mothers, in Scotland.

Find out more 🤗

What can you do?

If we are to succeed, we need as many people in Scotland to join our movement as possible. Our work in England has demonstrated to Westminster the democratic power of parents when we come together to demand change. We know that with your support, we can do the same in Scotland. We hear you when you say that you’re drowning out there without access to affordable ELC, and an antiquated parental leave system that doesn’t support both parents to spend time with their new baby. We know that pregnancy and maternity discrimination is rife and that you need mental health support, legal support and mentorship if you are to challenge this behaviour.

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Meet our Scotland lead, Carole Erskine . If you’d like to get in touch with Carole about our work in Scotland, please contact [email protected]

If you are a journalist looking to speak to Pregnant Then Screwed please contact [email protected]

Or Sign up to our PTS Scotland newsletter to keep up to date and get involved

Thank you for standing with us
Our heartfelt thanks to all who have joined us on this journey. Every voice, every act of support brings us closer to a Scotland where every parent – especially every mother, can thrive without penalty. We will not stop until we get there. ❤️