Moray Council agrees to pay childcare partners 5% more

NURSERIES and childminders partnered with Moray Council will receive five per cent more for providing childcare.

Councillors agreed to spend £395,000 to boost the “sustainable rate”, which is how much nurseries and childminders contracted by the Council receive for delivering funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) hours.

The sum is paid per child, per hour to Council partners and the increase will be backdated to April 2022 in line with a pay award given to Council staff.

Moray Council holds a three year contract with 39 nurseries and 37 childminders.

Council leader Councillor Kathleen Robertson (Forres, Conservative), said: “The benefits of early learning and childcare are well recognised: encouraging working parents to return to work; assisting in bringing families out of poverty; improving the wellbeing of parents; supporting young children in their learning; and also supporting our local economy.

“Moray has consistently paid one of the highest rates amongst all local authorities in Scotland.

“It is important we set a rate which will work for both funded providers and which is sustainable for the council to maintain.”

The hourly rate for two-year-old places will increase from £7.57 to £7.95, and for three to five-year-olds from £6.30 to £6.62.

Last Thursday’s (February 2) meeting of the full Council approved an additional budget of £395,000 in 2022/23 to fund the backdated uplift.

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