The Care Inspectorate has today published ‘Early Learning and Childcare Statistics 2024’, the latest in our annual series of statistics about the use and provision of early learning and childcare in Scotland.
Excluding childcare agencies, this report is based on ELC services on our register and incorporates our evaluations of the quality of these services, as well as additional information from annual returns completed by service providers. The statistics include longer-term trends as well as a focus on changes in the most recent year to 31 December 2024.
There were 3,414 daycare of children services as of 31 December 2024, 30 fewer compared to 2023. However, the average size of daycare of children services continued to increase, rising from 51.9 places to 52.6.
The number of childminding services registered continued to decrease, falling by 5.7% to 3,040, compared to 3,225 in 2023.
The capacity in early learning and childcare (including childminding services) decreased by 0.2%, from 199,050 to 198,600 registered places.
Overall, there were 214,070 children registered with an early learning and childcare service. This is a decrease of 2.3% from the 219,130 children registered in 2023.
There were 193,120 children registered with daycare of children services, which is a decrease from 197,000 children registered in 2023. For childminding services there were 20,950 children registered; this is a decrease from 22,130.
There was an increase of 510 children registered with school-aged childcare services, a 1.1% increase compared to 2023, while all other daycare of children service types had decreases in the number of children registered.
At 31 December 2024, 97.1% (2,644) of daycare of children services provided funded early learning and childcare (ELC), an increase compared to 96.7% (2,649) last year. The proportion of playgroups, children and family centres and ELC services offering funded places also increased.
The proportion of registered childminding services approved to deliver funded places was 35.9%, an increase from 34.9% in 2023.
The quality of services remains high, based on the evaluations held by services at 31 December 2024, with 92.2% of childminding and 87.8% of daycare of children services holding evaluations of good or better for all assessed themes or key questions.
Only 0.2% of services had evaluations of weak or unsatisfactory for all assessed themes or key questions.
Overall, 89.3% of daycare of children services offering funded ELC places held evaluations of good or better in all assessed themes or key questions.
Jackie Irvine, Chief Executive of the Care Inspectorate, said: “High quality early learning and childcare services benefit families in Scotland by supporting parents and guardians to access employment or training opportunities, and by giving our youngest citizens the best possible start in life.
“In our role as a regulator, we support these services to provide high quality care and deliver positive outcomes for children. It is encouraging that we continue to see examples of high quality provision across the ELC sector and in all regions of the country - every child in Scotland has the right to good quality, safe care which meets their needs and respects their rights.”
The full report can be read here.