аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø¿ª½±

Commenting, Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said:

"While we welcome the fact that the list of key workers has finally been published, and that government has confirmed that only one parent is required to be a key worker to be eligible, many questions remain.

"Given how broad and open to interpretation the list is, who makes the final decision on whether or not someone's oocupation should be defined as 'key'? The guidance states that workers should confirm whether or not their role is critical with their employer - this makes it very difficult for early years providers to plan for potential 'partial closure', as they still cannot be certain as of today how many of their parents may fall into this category.

"The government has had plenty of time to prepare for this, and many were expecting much clearer, more definitive guidance on which parents and children can expect to receive childcare as of next week. Instead, it seems as though the burden is being passed onto employers and providers during what is already a critical time."

Neil also called on the Department for Education to clarify that the reference to 'nursery and teaching staff' on the key worker list also includes childminders. He said:

"Throughout all of this, the early years sector seems to have been constantly overlooked - it's notable that the key worker guidance is described as being for 'schools, colleges and local authorities' with no mention of the early years.

'And for childminders, this has been all the more true. As it stands, the guidance states that 'nursery and teaching staff' are counted as key workers, with no reference to childminders. We are asking the government to confirm as a matter of urgency that they too are included in this critical list.

'As self-employed professionals heavily reliant on private fees, childminders are facing extreme challenges over the upcoming weeks. It is vital that the government recognises what a vital role they play within the childcare sector and ensure that they, alongside nurseries and pre-schools, get the support and guidance that they need during this difficult time."