Childcare from nine months old: Scotland plans to consult next year
The Programme for Government commits to childcare support from nine months old to the end of primary school.
What it means for you
- Nothing changes yet. Your funded hours and ratios stay as they are.
- Watch for the consultation in 2027 and have your say on how it would work for your setting.
- If you care for babies, think about how demand for places could change.
The Scottish Government has committed to childcare support from nine months old to the end of primary school, with a consultation next year.
The commitment is in the Programme for Government, set out from 1 to 3 September 2026 after the May election.
It is a plan, not a new rule. Nothing changes for settings until the consultation has run and the details are decided.
Train your team on this: Nurturing Babies: Best Practice for 0-2s, a short Hubba course (60 minutes) with a certificate at the end.
Plain guide: 1140 hours in Scotland
Over the border: Does this apply in England?. No. In England, working parents can already get funded hours from nine months old. News for England
Official sources
- Scottish Government: Transforming childcare, September 2026
How this story was made. This story was written with help from AI from the official sources below, then checked and approved by the Hubba Training team before it went live.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Open Government Licence.
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