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Leading early years organisations the Early Years Alliance, the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY) and the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) have today issued a joint call for the government to take urgent steps to protect the safety and financial sustainability of those working in nurseries, pre-schools and childminding settings in England, in light of the government decision to ask early years settings remain open during national lockdown while instructing schools to close. 

As part of the new joint #ProtectEarlyYears campaign, the three organisations, which collectively represent around 50,000 childcare providers, are calling on the government to: 

• Prioritise those working in early years and childcare for Covid-19 vaccinations 
• Roll-out mass asymptomatic testing at all early years and childcare settings 
• Reinstate early entitlement funding support for settings who have been forced to close or have seen a fall in the demand for funded places 
• Introduce targeted funding for providers reliant on private income who have suffered from falls in parental demand 

While the government has argued that early years settings are 'low-risk environments鈥�, it has so far failed to provide any specific evidence about the rates of transmission of the new variant of Covid-19 in early years settings among both children and adults. 

As such, the organisations are also calling on the government to provide clear scientific evidence on the risk implications of staying open for early years and childcare practitioners, particularly in light of the increased transmissibility of the new variant of Covid-19, including data on current transmission rates in early years and childcare settings.

Neil Leitch, Chief Executive of the Early Years Alliance, said:

鈥淚t is simply not acceptable that, at the height of a global pandemic, early years providers are being asked to work with no support, no protection and no clear evidence that is safe for them to do so. 

鈥淲e know how vital access to early education and care is to many families, but it cannot be right to ask the early years workforce to put themselves at risk. That is why it is vital that the government takes the urgent steps needed to safeguard those working in the sector, particularly mass testing and priority access to vaccinations. 

鈥淲ith many providers seeing a huge fall in the demand for places, if nurseries and childminders are to have any hope of being able to remain open in the long term, it is also vital that the government provides the necessary financial support, both for those reliant on 鈥榝ree entitlement鈥� funding, and those reliant on private parental income, to enable settings to remain viable. 

鈥淢inisters cannot simultaneously ask providers to stay open but take no action to ensure they can do so safely and sustainably. It鈥檚 time for the government to step up and give the early years sector the support it needs and deserves.鈥� 

Purnima Tanuku OBE, Chief Executive of NDNA, said:

鈥淭he Government is asking early years providers to go above and beyond in this lockdown and we know there is a great amount of determination among nurseries to support children and families at this challenging time.

鈥淭ime and again, whether it鈥檚 on PPE, cleaning costs, testing or staffing, early years providers have been overlooked by the Department for Education. Now, they are the only part of the education sector fully open to all children and must be given priority.

鈥淲hat we want to see from Government is the practical and financial support that will allow providers to do what they do best - giving children the highest standards of care and early education through this lockdown period. The sector must be supported now and cannot be an afterthought for Ministers.鈥�

Liz Bayram, Chief Executive at PACEY, comments:

鈥淓arly years and childcare providers have been a vital pillar of support for so many families throughout the pandemic but the latest restrictions have left them and their staff between a rock and a hard place. We need sight of the evidence that led government to decide it was low-risk to keep early years open but close schools. We need better financial support, not just for settings that have to close but for the many who decide to continue to provide services despite the risks and the significantly reduced numbers of children in attendance. 

鈥淢any PACEY members, most of whom are self-employed and on low incomes, cannot afford to temporarily close their business regardless of risk and have no choice but to carry on. If government believes early years are so vital, childminders, pre-school and nurseries should be better supported financially to make the right choice for their service to remain open or not. They and their staff should be a priority for vaccination and have access to rapid testing too. Gavin Williamson says early years are key, his words need to be backed up with decisive actions too.鈥�

NOTES FOR EDITORS

About the Early Years Alliance

The Early Years Alliance is the largest and most representative early years membership organisation in England. A registered educational charity, it also provides high-quality affordable childcare and education to support children and families in areas of deprivation throughout the country. 

The Alliance represents 14,000 members and supports them to deliver care and learning to more than 800,000 families every year. We deliver family learning projects, offer information and advice, produce specialist publications, run acclaimed training programmes and campaign to influence early years policy and practice.

The Alliance website is www.eyalliance.org.uk

About NDNA

National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) is the national charity representing children鈥檚 nurseries across the UK.

We are the voice of the 21,000-strong nursery sector, an integral part of the lives of more than a million young children and their families. We provide information, training and advice to support nurseries and the 250,000 people who work in them to deliver world-class early learning and childcare. Working closely with local and national governments in England, Scotland and Wales, we campaign on the cost, choice and quality of childcare to benefit nurseries, families and the economy.

About PACEY

PACEY is the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years. Formed in 1977, we are a charity dedicated to supporting everyone involved in childcare and early education to provide high quality services, information and advice to children, their families and carers.

Across England and Wales we provide training, expert advice, help and peer support to practitioners and practical and impartial support and information for families and carers and those advising them. We represent the views and experiences of practitioners and champion their vital role in helping prepare children for a bright future.