Overview
Local Authorities in Scotland must gather feedback from parents/carers at least once every 2 years, to support their planning for the delivery of Early Learning and Childcare (ELC).
In Scottish Borders, ELC is provided in local authority (school) nurseries, private and voluntary nurseries, and Childminders.
All 3 and 4 year olds, and some 2 year olds (those who meet the eligibility criteria), can access up to 1140 hours of funded Early Learning and Childcare, depending on when their birth dates are.
For more information, visit:
Survey
The Provision of Early Learning and Childcare Parental Survey 2026 goes live from 9am on Monday 9 February until Sunday 8 March 2026. The survey will take around 10 minutes to complete and is anonymous.
It is aimed at parents/carers whose children –
- Will access ELC provision in the future
- Those currently accessing ELC provision
- Those who have previously accessed ELC provision. If you are completing the survey as a parent/carer who previously accessed ELC provision, please respond to the questions based on your experience.
Why your views matter
The aim of this survey is to gather the views of parents/carers to help them improve and support –
- High-quality service
- Flexible service
- Assess service and provision needs
- Identify gaps within the provision
- Plan future provision
What happens next
If you would be willing to be involved in any further discussions relating to this survey, there is a form at the end where you can provide your name and contact e-mail address direct to our Early Years Team.
They have a statutory duty to publish their plan for the delivery of ELC at least once every 2 years. Under section 50(1)(b) of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 education authorities must have regard to the views expressed by parents/carers and the views expressed in this survey will help inform the Council’s Plan.
The resulting data will be collated by the partner agency, The Improvement Service, and the analysis shared securely with them. By completing this survey, you agree to the collection and sharing of your anonymous responses as outlined above. When you submit this form, it will not automatically collect your details like name and email address unless you provide it yourself.
If you have any questions, please contact the Councils Early Years Team at; earlyyearsteamed@scotborders.gov.uk or on 01835 824000.
Information in this survey will be dealt with in accordance with their Data Protection Policy. To find out what they do with your information, view our Privacy Notice.
To view and or download the PDF version of the Early Learning and Childcare poster, please click here.
