Commenting on the government's 50-page roadmap to
lifting lockdown, published today, Neil Leitch, chief executive
of the Early Years Alliance, said:
“Nurseries, pre-schools and childminders need a clear
plan of action on how they are going to be supported, both
practically and financially, to re-open as lockdown
eases.
“While the roadmap states that the government
expects some children to be able to return to early years
settings from 1 June - and for childminders, from as early as this
week - the sector urgently needs more detail on exactly how
this is expected to work in practice.
"Early years providers are going to face significant
changes to the way they operate on a day-to-day
basis, including a likely reduction in the
demand
for childcare places as some parents opt
to keep their children home rather than returning to
their settings. As such, government urgently needs to outline
what steps it is planning to take to ensure that providers are
able to remain financially sustainable during this period, as
well as how it will ensure that both practitioners and the
families they care for can best be kept safe.
"While we understand the government's desire to
outline its plans sooner rather than later, publishing
the vague outline of a strategy before any detailed
guidance is available for childcare providers is unhelpful
and liable to create concern and confusion for a sector
already under substantial pressure."
