WORKING parents are being denied access to free childcare, funded by the Scottish Government, because of restrictions imposed by East Lothian Council.

The council has capped the number of funded places it will allow in private nurseries across the county, insisting its own council-run nurseries must be full before any additional places are given.

But the move has sparked a furious response from parents and private nurseries, many of which have worked with the council for years to meet the demand for pre-school care.

They say parents who want to work are being punished by the local authority’s decision, which contradicts the Scottish Government’s Getting It Right For Every Child policy.

Ten of the council’s 18 private partnership nurseries have issued a joint statement accusing the council of acting against the principle that the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act proposed to give parents the flexibility and choice for accessing their children’s education.

In Musselburgh, where four private partnership nurseries have been told they will lose an average of 10 funded places each, there have been calls for a public meeting between parents and the local authority to voice concerns.

One of the biggest concerns for working parents are the hours council-run nurseries are open, which do not match a working day.

Council nurseries also close during school holidays, causing more problems for working parents. The private partnership nurseries are open for longer and all year round.

Jennifer Shearer, manager of Links Nursery in Musselburgh, says the decision is not putting children first.

She said: “Parents were not consulted about these caps, and it has been left to the nurseries to tell them about the changes.

“We have been capped at 30 funded sessions, out of the 40 in the morning and 40 in the afternoon we provide.

“We may not hit that limit until Christmas but in January I know there are another 25 children ready to come to us; how do we decide who gets a place and who doesn’t?” “It is a terrible thing to ask us to choose; it has been very distressing for parents and staff, many of whom have known the children here since they were babies.

“Moving the children is disruptive, it is not in their best interest and we cannot accept it is putting them first.” More than 50 parents from Links Nursery held a meeting in the town on Tuesday night as they prepared to fight the council decision.

And they called for a wider public meeting for all Musselburgh’s affected private nurseries, which include Honest Toun, Loretto and Musselburgh Private Nurseries.

The others among the 10 partnership nurseries protesting the capping are The Compass School and Pear Tree Nursery in Haddington, Argyle Bridge in Tranent, Cherrytrees Nursery, Dunbar, Camperdown Nursery in Prestonpans and Mary Poppins Nursery, Athelstaneford.

One parent who contacted the Courier said: “My wife and I feel that our informed choice regarding our son’s care and education has effectively been removed.

“In order to access the funding for our son, it would mean major disruption in his daily routine and may have an adverse effect on his development.” Another parent wrote: “The potential impact on my child’s early learning and care, my ability to work and my family life is severe.” Councillor Stuart Currie, leader of the opposition SNP Group, said the decision to restrict parents was “unacceptable”.

He said: “The Scottish Government has provided £1million funding for more access to free childcare, so this should not be a financial issue.

“If the council wants its nurseries to come first then they need to offer an equal service, which means longer hours and more flexibility.

“Working parents should not be denied access to something which is fundamental to their children’s development and welfare.

“It is astonishing that the council has taken something which is supposed to be a positive thing for families and made it into such a negative.” A spokesperson for East Lothian Council insisted they were unable to comment on the number of funded spaces available to parents, saying: “We are aware of concerns and are dealing with a number of individual enquiries.

“At this time we cannot comment on availability in the partner providers after August as we have not yet received or agreed requests for August intake.”