PARENTS fighting to secure free childcare places under a flagship Scottish Government initiative have appealed directly to the First Minister for extra cash.
The Glasgow-based campaign group Fair Funding for Our Kids has called on Nicola Sturgeon to provide the estimated £2 million required to deliver the pledge.
Under SNP legislation, families are entitled to a mandatory 600 hours of funded early learning and childcare for three and four-year-olds.
However, a survey by the Glasgow campaign has shown up to 2000 children are unable to secure the entitlement because the council does not provide sufficient full-time places in its own nurseries and does not pass sufficient funding on to private nurseries to compensate.
Earlier this week, Glasgow City Council's convener Stephen Curran said the Scottish Government funding was not sufficient to provide enough full-time places.
Jenny Gorevan, a spokeswoman for Fair Funding for Our Kids, has now written to Ms Sturgeon asking her to intervene.
She said: "We are asking for a temporary decision, costing an estimated £2m, to guarantee a funded place to all eligible children attending private partnership nurseries until a longer term solution can be found.
"Please can you step in to ensure that the promise you have made to our children is able to be kept in full and provide the £2m shortfall that is required?"
A Scottish Government spokeswoman dismissed the suggestion the policy was not being funded properly.
She said: "The Scottish Government is fully funding the additional costs of providing the statutory minimum of 600 hours based on figures agreed with council umbrella body Cosla. This funding increases annually to enable local authorities to increase flexibility and choices for parents.
"In 2015/16 Glasgow will receive its fair share of funding.... which will amount to over £1.4m. It is the responsibility of local authorities to manage budgets and allocate the financial resources available to them on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations."
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