PARENTS in Tweeddale are being invited to register their children for a place at nursery.

Enrolment week takes place from Monday, January 14, to Friday, January 18. And locals with children born between March 1, 2015, and February 28, 2017, will be able to visit the nursery of their choice to fill in an application form.

Parents will have to provide their child’s birth certificate and proof of address. As it is not always possible for children to be given the setting of their first choice, they will also be asked to provide an alternative.

Councillor Carol Hamilton, SBC’s executive member for children and young people, said: “We would ask all parents and carers of eligible children to register with their preferred setting during enrolment week and make sure that their child has a place for next year’s session.

“There are a number of benefits to taking up these funded places as the hours help to give children a significant start to their education by encouraging them to learn through play with other children, develop their language and social skills and prepare for school.

“They also give parents time to help them get back to work, study or training and have more flexibility to organise their family life.”

The Scottish government currently provides all three and four-year-olds with 600 hours of free early learning and childcare. But the hours are being increased from 600 to 1,140.

Application packs can also be downloaded from: www.scotborders.gov.uk/elc