What is the SNP doing for early learning childcare?

Scotland is leading the way in access to free and affordable childcare and reducing child poverty.

As the Scottish Government has continued to prioritise Early Learning and Childcare (ELC), with the 2026/26 Budget proposing investment of £101.2 million.

Families across Scotland have been benefitting from the provision of 1,140 hours of high quality ELC since 2021, worth up to £6,000 per eligible child each year.

With an SNP government, Scotland is the only part of the UK to offer 1,140 hours a year of funded ELC to all 3- and 4-year-olds and eligible 2-year-olds, regardless of their parents’ working status.

The SNP is committed to building an understanding of what models of childcare work best for children and their families which is backed by investment to further this work.

SNP policies in government ensure that support for children continues past their early years. The Bright Start Breakfasts fund provides £3 million to ensure that more primary school children have a nutritious start to the day and parents benefit from free childcare

The SNP’s 2026/27 budget is providing additional investment of £15 million in breakfast club delivery in 2026-27 – to build to a national offer by August 2027.

And the SNP’s 2026-27 budget will also continue to invest £5.5 million to provide up to 5,000 children with access to services through the Extra Time programme, which works with 51 football clubs and trusts across 28 local authority areas.