Highland Council reverses freeze on early learning and childcare fees
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Early learning and childcare (ELC) providers have been given an additional £463,000 after Highland Council totally reversed its position in just over a month amid an outcry over provider rates.
At the previous full council meeting in September the local authority sought to freeze the per hour per child fees but the threat of the opposition requisitioning a special meeting forced a U-turn.
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A new set of proposals were brought forward at today’s meeting offering to increase the rate for two year olds from £6.13 to £6.66 per hour and for three to five year olds the £5.43 rate will go up to £5.75 per hour.
In the meeting education committee chairman John Finlayson introduced another financial boost of 30 per cent for meals backdating it to August and running until March – taking it from £2.30 to £3.
In total the council agreed to £365,000 for the per hour rate and £98,000 for the meals – to be paid for from the local authority's reserves.
The administration’s budget leader Councillor Derek Louden described the moves as a 'success for ELC providers and a success for us because you are our partners'.
Opposition members labelled the turn around which Councillor Andrew Jarvie said was 'a defeat for the administration. Plain and simple, a reversal within a month'.
