This is the list of documents available for the submission Motion by Councillor Holly Bruce:- "Council notes that the cost-of-living crisis is having a deep impact on families' ability to afford childcare, which on average in Scotland costs £1,079.59 per month. Council believes that current funding provision provided by the Scottish Government falls short of what is required and that shortages in non-statutory out of school care services pose further financial challenge for families, especially lone women parents. Council agrees that bolstering childcare can help reduce child poverty figures, combat gender inequality and tackle fiscal pressures. Council acknowledges a recent report by Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Oxfam Foundation - Poverty Proofing the Future of Early Years Childcare - which states that 89% of families with children under 3 believe more funded childcare would improve family wellbeing and 2 out of 3 parents would work more if more funded childcare were available. Council agrees that universal free provision or family-funded childcare is a long-term ambition. Council notes the ongoing delivery challenges with recruitment of ELC-trained professionals. Council notes the lower levels of pay in the sector and calls to increase wages above the Real Living Wage. Council notes the fall in numbers of childminders and the impact this has on availability. Council believes addressing these challenges must be done in parallel with advocating for expanded provision. Council further commits to supporting the universal expansion of free childcare hours to children aged between 9 months and 2 years, whilst noting that childcare for children of this age should remain optional rather than compulsory, and that the state should support those parents and carers who choose to care for their children at home as strongly as it supports those who choose to use childcare outside of the home. Council commits to continuing to support, at a minimum, the 1140 funded childcare hours for all three, four, and pre-school five year olds, the Monday following the child's 3rd birthday. Council notes that, unlike other councils in Scotland, Glasgow's childcare offering goes above and beyond the statutory minimum, meaning that children and families do not have to wait up to five months to access their funded hours depending on when in the academic year their birthday falls. Council notes that within Flexible Childcare Options Scotland's Impact Report 23-24 it states that 67% of parents said they could "work more" thanks to the flexibility offered by the service. Council notes the benefit of early years education to children's overall health, wellbeing and development, particularly those children from more deprived areas. Council agrees to explore ways to make the current childcare offer more flexible to support parents in shift work or irregular employment. Council notes that the demand for places in Council nurseries for children under 3 is extremely high, with 1,900 children currently taking up places and a further 1,700 children aged 0-2 years on waiting lists. Council acknowledges that there is a need for more childcare facilities in the city and that future planning and property strategies need to address this. Council wholeheartedly supports the principle of parental choice which is central to the Scottish Government's 'funding follows the child' provider-neutral approach, and recognises the importance of ensuring parents and carers can choose from a variety of different childcare settings including public, private, and third-sector nurseries, as well as childminders. Council applauds the steps taken in recent years within Council services and policies to recognise the importance of fathers and other parents, moving away from the perception of childcare as an issue only for mothers or women. This includes the recent Miscarriage Bereavement Leave policy which acknowledges the importance of non-pregnant parents right from the earliest forming of a family. Council believes there is always more that can be done to support all parents employed by the Council family, including, where legislatively possible, extending rights to Elected Members who are parents and carers. Finally, Council notes that while conversations on childcare often focus on preschool children, the vast majority of children continue to need childcare once they are primary school aged, and often beyond if they have a disability. Council notes that in many areas of the city there is immense competition for out of school care with waiting lists often years long, and that provision on offer may not be suitable for or offered to children with a disability. This information is often difficult to find and many parents are not aware of the shortage with enough time to plan for their child starting school, which can impact on their ability to maintain their employment once their child is school aged. Council resolves to: - Acknowledge the importance of the 1140 funded childcare hours provided for all three, four and pre-school five year olds, which is triggered the Monday following the child's 3rd birthday, in tackling child poverty and inequality in Glasgow. - Write to the Scottish Government outlining its support for further universal expansion of free childcare hours to children aged between 9 months and 2 years, and requesting details of what work has been undertaken to consider a model similar to Finland's, where childcare funding is made available to parents who would choose to provide the childcare themselves. - Write to the UK Government advocating for an increase to statutory paternity and maternity pay. - Bring a paper to the Education, Skills and Early Years Committee within three committee cycles providing an update on the Programme for Scotland's Childminding Future pilot and to explore opportunities for business start-up support for childminders. - Bring a paper to the Education, Skills and Early Years Committee within three committee cycles, exploring how the current pre-school childcare offering could be adapted to meet the needs of parents in shift work or irregular employment. - Bring a paper to the Education, Skills and Early Years Committee within three committee cycles following a mapping exercise to examine the provision of out of school care across the city, on at least a ward level and ideally a school level, to determine if current local provision meets families' needs, and if there are actions that the Council can take to collaborate with the private, voluntary and independent sector to develop affordable options and support families, including families where children have a disability. - Bring a paper to the Wellbeing, Equality, Culture and Citizen's Engagement Committee within three committee cycles, reporting on how many non-birthing parents have taken up parental leave, including shared parental leave, in the past three years, and what more could be done to raise awareness in members of the Council family of what their parental leave entitlements are. - Bring a paper to the Business Bureau within three committee cycles to explore what more could be done to support Elected Members who have parental or other caring responsibilities, including giving consideration when scheduling committee meetings to ensuring that Council recess aligns with Glasgow City Council school holidays. - Establish a review in collaboration with childcare experts on the current implementation of ELC to ensure childcare hours are accessible and flexible to families with children under 5, with a particular focus on children with additional support needs. - Investigate in City Development Plan 2 whether developer contributions could be acquired for childcare facilities including early years nurseries. - Task the Education Estate Board with exploring conditions attached to the disposal of the educational estate, ensuring a needs assessment has been carried out to ensure adequate childcare facilities are available in every ward before any recommendation is made.".

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