One in six nurseries and childminders could close by Christmas
The Early Years Alliance is calling for more Government funding for the sector.
Last updated 30th Oct 2020
The Alliance, which works with early years providers, has surveyed more than 2,000 of its members about the state of the industry in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The study found one in six nurseries and childminders feared they could close by the end of this year, without support from the Government.
Early Years Alliance (EYA) also found that 51% of providers said they would need emergency funding to stay open for the next six months.
65% believed the Government hadn't done enough to support the sector through the coronavirus crisis.
SALISBURY NURSERY OWNER'S REACTION
Cheryl Hadland runs Tops Day Nurseries, which has branches across the South, including the one at Salisbury District Hospital.
She says she's concerned for the future:
"In the sector, we're lost nurseries that have been running successfully, outstanding nurseries, for 30 years. The Government has given us some help, with no business rates, but come November in my particular company, that's when the worry really starts.
"I would say that nurseries are on our knees at the moment, and we might be flat on our facs by Christmas, unless we can get some funding. If (the Government) can fund us a proper amount per child that would help significantly, because then we might be able to generate enough that we can stay open through the crisis. Unless something changes, I'm sure we will see lots of closures, it just depends really on the Government."
Some of the worries around the sector include a reduced demand for nursery and childminding places through the pandemic, leading to a lower income from fees and funding, while costs have increased due to additional hygiene measures and staffing.
EYA is calling on the Government to create an Early Years Sufficiency Fund, worth a total of £240 million.
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, said:
"We are now a critical moment for the early years sector. With demand for places still significantly below what would typically be expected, and no sign of things returning to normal any time soon, many nurseries, pre-schools and childminders are reaching the point of no return.
"There is absolutely no excuse for the government's continued indifference towards the early years sector. It claims that children's access to education during the pandemic is a top priority, and yet it is apparently perfectly happy to see thousands of early education providers fall by the wayside. It argues that safeguarding the economy is critical to the country's recovery, but chooses to ignore the fact that there can be no recovery without a functioning early years sector providing the quality care that parents and families need."