SB 14-26 Early Learning and Childcare

This briefing gives the legislative and policy context for the provision of childcare and pre-school education and considers the expansion of early learning and childcare as set out in the Scottish Government’s White Paper “Scotland’s Future”.  The focus in this paper is on the economics of childcare. It does not look at issues related to child development, but concentrates instead on issues of cost, supply, demand and the effect of childcare provision on the labour market participation of women with young children.