The proposed National Childcare Service, is necessary to address a 45 percent shortfall in capacity that will emerge when free nursery care doubles in 2020, claims lobby group Common Weal.
Its report, entitled, An Equal Start: A plan for equality in early learning and care in Scotland, predicts the SNP’s pledge will require an extra 45,000 childcare places, 1,125 new centres and 10,970 new staff - an increase of 80 per cent.
According to the report, the expansion - which would cost at least an estimated £800m before staff training and wages - could be funded from an expected five per cent rise in the Scottish Government’s capital budget, or through borrowing.
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