First minister Nicola Sturgeon has promised to increase spending on the free places for three and four-year-olds from £439 million this year to £880m in 2019/20, if the SNP wins the Holyrood election.
Speaking at the David Hume Institute in Edinburgh, Ms Sturgeon also confirmed that by the end of the next parliament, the number of hours of free childcare will rise from 15 to 30 hours a week.
The first minister unveiled plans to double free childcare provision at the SNP's conference last November.
Making the announcement about the extra funding, Ms Sturgeon said, ‘Early learning and childcare promotes opportunity twice over. It enables parents to enter the workforce now and provide a better standard of living for their children, and it helps all children to make the most of their potential later in life. It’s one of the best investments any Government can possibly make.
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