The Scottish Government’s flagship free childcare pledge has been shelved due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Councils were working to a deadline of August to double the provision of funded childcare hours to 1,140 a year for all three and four-year-olds, and eligible two-year-olds.
Now, the Scottish Government plans to suspend the legal duty on local authorities to deliver the expansion by August, with children and young people minister Maree Todd saying the coronavirus pandemic makes it “impossible”.
Read more: Ex Clydebank man opens doors to house young women stuck abroad
An Audit Scotland report at the start of the month found “steady progress” but warned its success or failure is “critically dependent on achieving much in a short time”, with extensive recruitment and building works urgently required.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here