Renfrewshire councillors have voted to overturn a nursery age policy change made last year that was costing parents thousands of pounds.
The local authority provides 30 hours of free childcare for all three-year-olds, but the policy change meant it only applied from the start of the school term, not from the child’s birthday.
Campaigner Helen Cannon told STV News the policy was “discriminatory” towards working parents.
She takes care of her grandsons, two-year-old Oran and four-year-old Max, during the week while their parents work full-time.
Oran was due to start nursery in January 2026, after his third birthday – but the policy would mean he would only be eligible for a free place from April 2026. His parents faced paying around £3,000 for childcare during that period.
STV NewsTo help with childcare in the meantime, Helen has been delaying a hip replacement.
She told STV News: “I undertake the care of both of my grandchildren and I am in advancing years.
“I am on a waiting list for a hip replacement and I have been deferring that in order to continue with care of my grandsons.
STV News“Now this motion has passed, there’s a fair platform for all children to start at the same time. This means I can now proceed with my hip operation.”
Helen joined forces with local mum Vahri Gemmell to launch a petition earlier this year urging the council to reconsider the policy.
Mum-of-three Vahri said she would have been facing a bill of £4,000 to send her youngest son to nursery due to the rule.
STV NewsAdam will turn three years old in September – but when she had applied for his free place, she found he wasn’t eligible until next January.
Vahri is delighted their campaign was a success.
“I’m really surprised it’s come around this quickly,” she said. “I thought it was going to be a much longer road. I think the timing’s went well for us.
“They’re very good at throwing out the term ‘getting it right for every child,’ but they actually weren’t. They were getting it right for children that fell into the category they deemed appropriate for support.”
Speaking to STV earlier, in April 2025, she said: “Families like myself, where both parents are working, it’s something that we rely on.
“It didn’t sit right with me.”
Councillors voted in favour of the Free At Three campaign – overturning last year’s policy change – on Thursday by one vote.
A spokesperson for Renfrewshire Council said: “We note the decision taken by councillors today and will now take forward the work needed to reimplement the previous policy.”
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
