We are grateful to Willie Rennie, LibDeb MSP for North East Fife, for speaking up on CVN’s behalf at the Early Childhood Transformational Change Progamme debate last week. He, along with Roz McCall, Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Pam Duncan-Glancy Labour MSP for Glasgow, Fulton MacGregor, SNP MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston and Martin Whitfield Labour MSP for South Scotland all highlighted the financial difficulties facing services in the Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVI) sectors who, as funded providers, deliver early learning and childcare on behalf of local authorities.

PVI have long campaigned for a review of early learning and childcare funding. It was encouraging therefore to see cross party recognition that the way Scottish Government allocates funding to PVI is, according to Willie Rennie, discriminating against the sector and which has, in the words of others contributing to the debate, resulted in crisis in a sector that is “struggling” and not financially viable.

The debate concluded with Natalie Don, SNP MSP for Renfrewshire North and West and Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise, stating she “is actively engaging in, and working to support, our highly valued PVI sector” which is “fundamental both to our current offer and to our further expansion of childcare”. It is regrettable that, so far, “active engagement” has appeared to be standard replies and empty promises. There certainly has been no action.

Fortunately Ms Don acknowledged that there “is work to do”. We just hope it is not too late.