Childcare Scotland v England?

In March 2023, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced that he would extend the current childcare scheme, offering some families 30 free hours per week to cover younger children.

The changes will be phased for households in England where the parent or parents earn at least £152 a week but less than £100,000 a year:

• April 2024: Eligible two-year-olds will get 15 hours of free childcare per week
• September 2024: Eligible children between nine months and two years will get 15 hours
• September 2025: Eligible children between nine months and three years will get 30 hours

Today, Hamza Yousef is predicted to announce similar childcare provisions; the SNP leader will reveal his new programme for government at Holyrood later as MSPs return from summer recess. Children aged three and four in Scotland currently get 1,140 hours of free care a year. The first minister has said previously he would back universal childcare for one and two-year-olds.

• What would you like to see in Hamza Yousef’s announcement?
• What are your thoughts about the timetable for the rollout of childcare provision in England?
• What has been the impact of the lack of childcare provision for you, your team, or your co-workers?