“It is essential that we have enough childcare places to support families to ensure the country can recover from COVID-19, both economically and socially."
Responding to a survey by the Early Years Alliance showing one in six nurseries and childminders may not survive the winter due to the impact of COVID-19, Cllr Judith Blake, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, said:
“Childcare providers have been a vital part of the nation’s response to COVID-19 and this stark survey shows the plight that many continue to face. It is vital that all parents have access to the good quality childcare they need to enable them to return to work, while ensuring that children have the support, they need to develop school readiness.
“However, early years and childcare providers have not had access to the same funding as schools to stay open. As this survey also shows, this has combined with a slow return to early education which is putting settings at risk.
“It is essential that we have enough childcare places to support families to ensure the country can recover from COVID-19, both economically and socially. We are calling on the Government to provide an urgent injection of funding in the Spending Review to protect childcare providers at risk of closure as a result of the pandemic.”