Edinburgh Council has been accused of paying its own nurseries considerably more for funded childcare places than the city's private early learning centres get — and of a "complete lack of transparency" over how the new hourly rate has been set.
Three and four year olds, and some two year-olds, are eligible for 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare (ELC) every year, which is provided through a mix of the local authority's own nurseries and private providers paid by the council.
Edinburgh City Council's education committee met on Tuesday (September 20) to agree a new hourly rate of £6.03 per child per hour for private nurseries, up from £5.42.
