The number of private childcare providers has dropped by 20 per cent in the last year across the Scottish Borders, according to Scottish Conservative comparison of the latest Care Inspectorate data.
The figures show that the number of active childcare providers, including childminders, childcare agencies and nurseries, has dropped by 6 percent in the last year, from 6475 to 6113 across Scotland as a whole.
Specifically, the number of private nurseries and childcare agencies in the Borders has dropped from 145 to 116 between 2017 and 2018.
This comes after private childcare providers have warned the SNP that their shambolic plan to expand childcare is about to ‘implode’, leaving them on the brink of closure.
The Scottish Government’s childcare expansion comes into force by 2020, when families will be entitled to 1140 hours per year of free early learning and childcare.
Rachael Hamilton MSP said:
“The expansion of childcare cannot be delivered by the SNP without an increase in nursery provision, and yet private nurseries are falling in numbers.
“This reduction in independent childcare providers, such as childminders, undermines trust that the SNP can deliver this policy.
“In the Borders, it is worrying to see such a dramatic fall in providers. While the SNP might be content with headlines, families are depending on delivery.”