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Leading early years membership organisation the Early Years Alliance has warned that the childcare sector in England is facing a fight for survival, as new research finds that only around four in 10 parents of under-fives are planning to take up their childcare places as early years providers in England open to more children today (Monday 1 June).

The Alliance, which represents nurseries, pre-schools and childminders and has over 14,000 members, carried out two separate online surveys in May on views on plans for childcare settings to reopen in June – one aimed at parents and the other aimed at childcare providers.

 

PARENT SURVEY KEY FINDINGS

The parent survey, which received 4,490 responses from parents of children aged under five accessing formal childcare, found that:

 

• Of those parents whose provider has confirmed they will be reopening on or shortly after 1 June: 45% are planning to take up their child’s place, while 42% are not and 13% still completely undecided.

 

• The most commonly cited reasons for those not taking up their place were: “I do not think it’s safe for my child” (74%); “I do not think it’s safe for my wider family (63%), and “I do not think it’s safe for the staff at our childcare setting / our childminder” (58%).

 

• When asked what would need to happen to take up their place, the most commonly-cited answers among parents not taking up their place were:
  • A sustained fall in the number of coronavirus cases across the country (79%)
  • More information from the government on the science underpinning the decision to reopen childcare settings (58%)
  • A sustained fall in the number of coronavirus cases in the local area (55%)

The survey also found that one in five (21%) of those parents intending to take up their childcare place from 1 June plan to use less hours than they did previously.

When asked to rank how clear the government has been on the rationale behind reopening childcare settings from 1 (very unclear) to 10 (very clear), parents gave an average rating of 3.9, with nearly three in 10 (28%) giving a rating of 1.

 

PROVIDER SURVEY KEY FINDINGS

The provider survey, which received 6,300 responses from childcare settings in England, found that:

 

• 65% of childcare providers are planning to reopen more widely on 1 June, while 21% are not planning to do so and 15% are unsure.

 

• 50% of providers expect demand for places to be less than the number of children they can care for safely when they do reopen (27% expect it to be the same, 11% expect it to be more and 11% don't know.).

 

• 69% expect to operate at a loss over the next six months (26% expect to break even and 4% expect to make a profit).

 

Of those childcare providers not planning to reopen on 1 June:

• The most commonly-cited reasons for not opening were:“Don’t feel it’s safe for staff families/own family” (64%); “Don’t feel it’s safe for children” (62%) and “Don’t feel it’s safe for staff/myself” (56%)

 

• When asked when they are planning to reopen, the most common responses were: 
  • September (42%)
  • July (20%)
  • I / we have no idea yet (18%)

 

• When asked what additional support, if any, they want the government to supply the early years sector, most common replies among all providers were:
  • Clearer government guidance on operating safely (70%)
  • Guarantee of continuation of early entitlement funding for children not attending (67%)
  • Financial support for coronavirus-related operating costs, such as cleaning (63%)

 

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

“Our survey findings show just how split parents are over whether or not to send their children back to childcare. While this isn’t in any way unexpected, it does highlight the huge pressure that the early years sector in England is facing over the coming months.

“With most childcare providers limited as to how many children they can care for safely, and many predicting that parental demand for places will be lower still, many nurseries, pre-schools and childminders are going to face a real struggle for survival during this incredibly difficult period. It is no exaggeration to say that the very future of the childcare sector is at risk if the government doesn’t get its act together and provide the support that providers need.

“While early years settings have worked incredibly hard over recent weeks either to prepare to reopen, or to continue supporting their families remotely, the government’s attitude towards them has been frankly appalling: it has refused to reverse its last-minute decision to restrict providers’ ability to access furlough funding; it has refused to offer any financial support to help early years providers meet the additional costs of operating safely during this outbreak, while providing thousands of pounds to schools for the very same purpose; and it has refused to commit to any kind of transitional funding to help the sector get through this period of significantly reduced demand.

“Although much focus to date has been on the reopening of primary schools, with more than a million children normally accessing early years care and education, there is no doubt that early years providers will play a pivotal role in the overall recovery of the economy, and the ability of society to return to some kind of normality.

“It is vital, therefore, that the government takes the steps needed to safeguard the future of the early years sector. That means not only providing the clear, unambiguous reassurance that parents – and providers – need to feel confident that it is safe for children to return to childcare, but crucially, committing to a significant financial support package to help ensure that childcare providers are able to stay afloat throughout this challenging period and beyond.”

 

CASE STUDIES

PARENTS:

 

Lisa Boyd, Carlisle, parent of a four-year-old, said:

"It is too early to expect children to adapt to the new environment. Older children would be able to follow social distancing rules, younger children won't - this will, in turn, have an impact on their wellbeing. Not enough information is available on the transmission of the virus between children. This is putting adults and peers at risk of contracting the virus, causing another peak."

  

Deborah Tilley, Alsager in Cheshire, parent of a four-year-old and a five-month-old, said:

"The government has been too unclear about the data behind the decision to open childcare settings. I also feel too little concern has been given to parents' concerns and for themselves, their wider family members and for their children - in particular, when parents themselves have underlying conditions that put them at a greater risk."

 

Chloe Pullara, Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire, parent of a four-year-old, said:

"I know my son’s nursery will do their upmost to be nurturing and give the best possible care and education under the circumstances. However, I also know that it will not be the same place as when he left. 
"Nurseries are being asked to do the impossible. I am worried about the lasting impacts of reopening too soon,expecting children to limit their play and not be able to have that physical closeness with other children and adults may be detrimental to their mental health.”

 

Dominique Tahir, Dogmersfield in Hampshire, parent of a four-year-old and a two-year-old, said:

"It’s not safe to open early years and primary schools - we strongly disagree with the government’s view to ease the lockdown before it’s safe to do so. We will not use our little children to test the rollout. Keeping them safe at home is the best thing to do for now."

 

Tracey Davids, Cambridge, parent of a three-year-old and a five-year-old, said:

"I believe that the direct risk to young children is very low, therefore we are happy to send our children back. 

"Our setting is making a cautious start, with very small groups, and shorter sessions avoiding mealtimes. This seems like a very sensible approach. I understand the concerns of staff but feel reassured that the pre-school will be implementing the strict protocols e.g. the five key points to ensure safety for everyone.

"It's important to balance the risks with the benefits - this is what we all do, every second of every day, regardless of the pandemic.

"I'm also on our pre-school committee, so I am very aware of the huge amounts of work (and stress!) preparing for reopening.”

 

"I think that the science and worldwide evidence is clear in that children of this age are of low risk for both contracting and spreading of Covid-19. Therefore I believe it is safe for nurseries to re-open and feel that they should reopen in order for the country to slowly get back on its feet again."

 

CHILDCARE PROVIDERS:

 

Claire Kenyon, owner of The Children’s Garden in Norwich, and The Children’s Garden in Stamford, said:

“I have been losing money by staying open to key worker families so while I’m relieved to be able to open, I do feel a deep sense of responsibility to the staff and families that come. In Norwich I’m close to the hospital, so lots of NHS staff. We’re putting measures in place, but luckily for us we have five acres to spread out into, and there are indications that being outdoors will help to slow the spread. We’re still struggling to get hand gel, and any PPE is eye wateringly expensive. We have had no help in procuring any of these items. 

"There is the general feeling in the early years profession that we are invisible. Schools are thanked daily, yet they’ve been given extra funding and have been able to claim furlough for some staff. We’ve had no extra money, furlough with financial caveats, no information and no thanks. There’s talk of strikes, people are selling up, and leaving the profession in droves. The pay is poor, the work is hard, exhausting and complex, we are taking on more and more responsibility from other sectors with no financial remuneration. 

"Lots of staff are frightened about coming back to work. We can’t social distance, yet we’ve been told we don’t need PPE. We can’t help thinking that this is unlikely. Children can carry COVID-19. We’ve seen U-turns from the government over the past few months which has compromised our faith in their advice. There is long-term cynicism at a senior professional level that has been exacerbated by the country’s leadership in recent weeks."

 

Bianca Johnson, director of Shiny Stars Day Nursery in Stoke on Trent, said:

"I have been extremely scared about all the decisions I have had to make very quickly to support 30 staff and over 200 children and families. This has been a very stressful time, and my family and staff team have worked very hard to keep going. 

"The changes to government guidance that are being published are not always clear. We as providers really need clear guidelines on what we can and cannot do in order to prevent the spread of the virus so we do not have a spike again. It is very hard to social distance children as they need cuddles and interactions. 

"Times are so hard for small businesses and I am very worried for what the future holds. We are in a very difficult situation and it's heartbreaking we might lose our businesses. I’ve had to make decisions I never thought I would have to make."

 

Meera Bhogal, owner and founder of Oak Lee Montessori School in Pinner, Middlesex, said:

"We are looking forward to having our children and staff back at nursery. We have had weekly meetings to plan and forecast for all eventualities and are ready with social distancing measures and a full and comprehensive set of provisions for staff and parents to support our re-opening from June.

"However, guidance has been very limited and slow to arrive. There has also been very little guidance for parents and we have been supporting parents from other settings to make sense of the current situation. 

"There has also been total confusion about the use and allocation for early entitlement funding." 

 

Victoria Baker of Victoria’s Childminding in Kedington, Suffolk, said:

"Apart from a short period where I was ill myself (suspected Covid but no test), I have remained open to key workers. However, I have been disappointed in the lack of support from the government for the unique situation that childminders are in. It has been left to local authorities as to how they use Covid funding - and while some areas have received £100 per key worker child per week or more, our local council have offered nothing.

"In hindsight it would have been much less risk to my family to close and continue to receive the government funding than to remain open, battle with legislation and risk our health - however, I am glad I have stayed open. 

"There are many childminders panicking now and even some closing down due to the fear of the unknown, but the children we have in every day are a delight and have kept me sane through a very testing time."

 

Donna Barnes, senior manager at Bridge House Nursery, Pre-school and Out of School Club in West Yorkshire, said:

‘‘The practicalities of social distancing children of such a young age is hard. Children want to play together so highly skilled practitioners need to set out various activities for the encouragement of distancing children. Resources must be risk-assessed to remove and reduce the risk of any spread of the virus. Many additional procedures have been implemented to meet the government guidelines.

"In order for early years settings to implement as much social distancing and minimise risk, there needs to be a substantial amount of financial support laid out.’’

 

 

FULL SURVEY RESULTS

 

Has your child accessed formal childcare during the lockdown?  

No: 94%

Yes, I am / my partner is a key worker: 6%

Yes, my child is considered to be a vulnerable child: 1%

         

What type of childcare setting does your child normally attend / will your child attend?      

Private or voluntary nursery or pre-school: 76%

Local authority-run nursery school: 9%

Childminder: 4%

Primary school nursery class: 4%

Specialist provision: 0%

Out-of-hours club:0%

Unsure: 1%

Other (please specify): 0%

My child attends/will attend more than one type of childcare setting: 4%

Other: 1%

         

What combination of childcare settings does your child attend?  

Nursery / pre-school and a childminder: 66%

Nursery / pre-school and an out-of-hour club: 5%

Childminder and an out-of-hours club: 0%

Local authority-run nursery school and a childminder: 2%

Local authority-run nursery school and an out-of-hours club: 1%

Primary school nursery class and a childminder: 1%

Primary school nursery class and an out-of-hours club: 1%

Specialist provision and a childminder: 0%

Specialist provision and an out-of-hours club: 0%

Unsure: 2%

Other: 22%

         

[Parents accessing more than one provider only]If you are able to, do you still intend to use more than one childcare provider once settings are able to reopen?    

Yes: 60%

No: 40%

         

Has your childcare provider confirmed whether or not they will be reopening (to non-key worker / non-vulnerable children) on 1 June?

Yes, they have confirmed they will be reopening on 1 June: 48%

Yes, they have confirmed they will be reopening shortly after 1 June: 7%

Yes, they have confirmed that they will not be reopening on 1 June: 3%

They have said that they are still deciding whether or not they will be reopening on 1 June: 33%

They have confirmed they will be opening at a later date (e.g. September): 2%

I have not yet heard from my childcare setting: 6%

         

[Parents whose providers have confirmed they are reopening on or shortly after 1 June]Are you planning to take up your child’s place once your childcare setting has reopened?         

Yes, definitely: 30%

Yes, probably: 15%

No, probably not: 16%

No, definitely not: 26%

I am still completely undecided: 13%

 

[If not planning to take up childcare place]What are the main reasons for this? Please select all that apply.        

I do not think it’s safe for my child: 74%

I do not think it’s safe for my wider family: 63%

I do not think it’s safe for the wider local community: 45%

I do not think it’s safe for the staff at our childcare setting / our childminder: 58%

I am able to look after my child from home: 52%

I have another child whose school or setting is not reopening: 17%

I do not feel that attending the childcare setting benefits my child: 11%

Other: 11%

 

What would need to happen for you to take up your childcare place? Please select all that apply.         

More clarity from my childcare setting on how they will keep children safe: 17%

More information from the government on the science underpinning the decision to reopen childcare settings: 58%

A sustained fall in the number of coronavirus cases across the country: 79%

A sustained fall in the number of coronavirus cases in the local area: 55%

The development of a coronavirus vaccine: 40%

Required to return to work: 16%

No longer able to work from home: 12%

Other child/children able to return to their school or setting: 12%

I will not be returning my child back to their childcare setting in any circumstances: 4%

Other: 7%

         

[If planning to take up their childcare place] What are the main reasons for this? Please select all that apply         

Unable to work from home: 23%

Can work from home but finding it difficult to balance work and childcare: 35%

Feel that returning to childcare will benefit my child’s learning: 64%

Feel that returning to childcare will benefit my child socially: 70%

Feel that settling-in / resettling-in will be harder if my child returns at a later date: 37%

Other: 10%

         

If you are able to, will you take up the same number of hours per week as you previously did?   

Yes, I plan to take up the same number of hours: 67%

No, I plan to take up more hours than I previously did: 4%

No, I plan to take up less hours than I previously did: 21%

Undecided: 8%

         

[Parents whose provider has confirmed they are NOT opening on or shortly after 1 June]If your childcare setting had confirmed they were reopening from 1 June, would you have taken up your child’s place from this date?

Yes, definitely: 17%

Yes, probably: 12%

No, probably not: 19%

No, definitely not: 41%

Undecided: 11%

 

[Parents who WOULDN’T have taken up their place if their provider had confirmed plans to open on or shortly after 1 June] What are the main reasons for this? Please select all that apply.

I do not think it’s safe for my child: 77%

I do not think it’s safe for my wider family: 68%

I do not think it’s safe for the wider local community: 55%

I do not think it’s safe for the staff at our childcare setting / our childminder: 70%

I am able to look after my child from home: 50%

I have another child whose school or setting is not reopening: 18%

I do not feel that attending the childcare setting benefits my child: 2%

Other: 9%

         

[Parents who WOULDN’T have taken up their place if their provider had confirmed plans to open on or shortly after 1 June] What would need to happen for you to return your child to their childcare setting? Please select all that apply.        

More clarity from my childcare setting on how they will keep children safe: 24%

More information from the government on the science underpinning the decision to reopen childcare settings: 57%

A sustained fall in the number of coronavirus cases across the country: 83%

A sustained fall in the number of coronavirus cases in the local area: 60%

The development of a coronavirus vaccine: 39%

Required to return to work: 11%

No longer able to work from home: 15%

Other child/children able to return to their school or setting: 6%

I will not be returning my child back to their childcare setting in any circumstances: 3%

Other (please specify): 1%

         

[Parents who WOULD have taken up their place if their provider had confirmed plans to open on or shortly after 1 June] What are the main reasons for this? Please select all that apply  

Unable to work from home: 22%

Can work from home but finding it difficult to balance work and childcare: 33%

Feel that returning to childcare will benefit my child’s learning: 68%

Feel that returning to childcare will benefit my child socially: 70%

Feel that settling-in / resettling-in will be harder if my child returns at a later date: 50%

Other: 10%

         

[Parents who WOULD have taken up their place if their provider had confirmed plans to open on or shortly after 1 June] Are you planning to look for another childcare setting for 1 June?       

Yes, I have found an alternative childcare setting for my child to attend: 5%

Yes, I am looking for an alternative childcare setting for my child to attend: 10%

No, I am going to wait until my current childcare setting reopens: 78%

Undecided: 7%

         

[Parents who still do not know if their provider will open on or shortly after 1 June] If your childcare setting confirms they are reopening on 1 June, will you take up your child’s place from this date?       

Yes, definitely: 21%

Yes, probably: 15%

No, probably not: 19%

No, definitely not: 30%

I am completely undecided: 15%

 

[Parents who still do not know if their provider will open on or shortly after 1 June, but WOULDN’T take up a place if available] What are the main reasons for this? Please select all that apply.      

I do not think it’s safe for my child: 74%

I do not think it’s safe for my wider family: 61%

I do not think it’s safe for the wider local community: 43%

I do not think it’s safe for the staff at our childcare setting / our childminder: 59%

I am able to look after my child from home: 51%

I have another child whose school or setting is not reopening: 18%

I do not feel that attending the childcare setting benefits my child: 9%

Other: 11%

         

[Parents who still do not know if their provider will open on or shortly after 1 June, but WOULDN’T take up a place if available] What would need to happen for you to return your child to their childcare setting? Please select all that apply.  

More clarity from my childcare setting on how they will keep children safe: 28%

More information from the government on the science underpinning the decision to reopen childcare settings: 61%

A sustained fall in the number of coronavirus cases across the country: 74%

A sustained fall in the number of coronavirus cases in the local area: 54%

The development of a coronavirus vaccine: 39%

Required to return to work: 14%

No longer able to work from home: 13%

Other child/children able to return to their school or setting: 11%

I will not be returning my child back to their childcare setting in any circumstances: 4%

Other: 6%

 

[Parents who still do not know if their provider will open on or shortly after 1 June, but WOULD take up a place if available] What are the main reasons for this? Please select all that apply.  

Unable to work from home :20%

Can work from home but finding it difficult to balance work and childcare: 28%

Feel that returning to childcare will benefit my child’s learning: 65%

Feel that returning to childcare will benefit my child socially: 72%

Feel that settling-in / resettling-in will be harder if my child returns at a later date: 39%

Other: 11%

                

On a scale of 1-10, how clear do you think the government has been on the rationale behind the decision to reopen childcare settings? 

Average rating: 3.8

         

How old is your child?        

Under 1: 1%

1: 6%

2: 18%

3: 40%

4: 35%

         

Does your child currently take up any of the government's funded entitlement offers (even if they don't take up all the hours they are eligible for)?         

Yes, the 30 hours offer for three- and four-year-olds: 38%

Yes, the 15 hours offer for three- and four-year olds: 39%

Yes, the 15 hours offer for two-year-olds: 4%

No: 19%

         

Do you consider your child to have any of the following:     

Special educational needs: 4%

Disabilities:1%

Special education needs AND disabilities: 1%

Neither: 94%

         

PROVIDER SURVEY

 

How would you describe your provision? Please choose the closest option.

Pre-school: 39%

Nursery: 16%

Childminder: 41%

Out-of-hours club:1%

Primary school nursery class: 1%

Maintained nursery school: 0%

Specialist provision: 0%

Other: 2%

 

[Group settings] Are you currently open to key worker and/or vulnerable children?

Yes: 27%

No, we are temporarily closed: 73%

No, we have closed permanently: 1%

         

[Childminders] Are you currently open?     

Yes, to key worker and/or vulnerable children: 49%

Yes, to children from a single family: 3%

No, I am temporarily closed: 47%

No, I have closed permanently: 0%

 

If government plans for early years providers to reopen more widely on 1 June go ahead, do you expect your setting to do so?

Yes, definitely: 34%

Yes, probably: 31%

No, probably not: 11%

No, definitely not: 10%

Still undecided: 15%

         

[If NOT expecting to open on 1 June] Why is this? Please select all that apply.    

Don’t feel it’s safe for children: 62%

Don’t feel it’s safe for parents: 42%

Don’t feel it’s safe for staff/myself: 56%

Don’t feel it is safe for staff families / my own family: 64%

Worried that it will result in the wider transmission of coronavirus in the local community: 54%

Not enough staff available: 17%

Unable to use our normal premises: 7%

Not financially sustainable to open: 30%

Not enough time to prepare: 22%

Other: 20%

 

[If NOT expecting to open on 1 June] When do you expect your setting to reopen (even if this is not fully confirmed)?       

During the month of June (but later than 1 June): 12%

During the month of July: 20%

During the month of August: 5%

During the month of September: 42%

During the month of October: 0%

During the month of November: 0%

During the month of December: 0%

During the month of January 2021: 0%

February 2021 or later: 0%

I/We will be closing permanently: 1%

I/We have no idea yet: 18%

                                                                                   

The following questions were asked of all respondents

 

Do you know how many children you will be able to safely care for when you do reopen?    

Yes, I/we have an accurate number: 25%

Yes, I/we have a rough number:51%

No, I/we don’t know yet: 23%

         

Roughly what proportion of your normal intake to you expect to be able to offer places to in total when you do reopen?

Up to 10%: 7%

11-20%: 8%

21-30%: 14%

31-40%: 11%

41-50%: 20%

51-60%: 10%

61-70%: 5%

71-80%: 8%

81-90%: 5%

91-99%: 2%

100%: 12%

         

Do you know how many parents are planning to send children back to your provision when you reopen?         

Yes, I/we have confirmed numbers: 22%

Yes, I/we have a rough idea: 43%

Not yet, but I am / we are in the process of finding out: 27%

No, I/we don’t know: 8%

         

Do you expect the demand for places to:    

Be more than number of children that you will be able to care for: 11%

Be around the same as the number of children that you will be able to care for: 27%

Be less than the number of children you will be able to care for: 50%

Don’t know: 11%

         

         

[�°������ϲʹ������� expecting more demand than places]How are you planning to prioritise places? Please select all that apply.    

Prioritising places for older children: 49%

Prioritising places for younger children: 10%

Prioritising places for children of key workers: 73%

Prioritising places for vulnerable children: 62%

Prioritising places for children whose parents are working: 30%

Prioritising places for children whose parents are working and cannot work from home: 39%

Other: 11%

 

The following questions were asked of all providers

         

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the usefulness of the guidance that the government has produced so far on operating during the coronavirus outbreak? 

Average rating: 4.6

         

Has your local authority confirmed whether or not you will still receive funding for funded children whose parents opt not to return them to you once you are open?        

Yes, they have confirmed we will still receive funding for children not attending: 48%

Yes, they have confirmed we won’t receive funding for children not attending: 1%

No, they have not confirmed this yet: 38%

N/A - no places currently offered to funded children: 13%

    

Over the next six months, do you expect to:       

Operate at a loss: 69%

Break even: 26%

Operate at a profit: 4%

         

What additional support, if any, would you like the government to provide to support early years providers generally to reopen? 

Clearer government guidance on operating safely: 70%

More information on the science underpinning the decision to reopen: 57%

Financial support for coronavirus-related operating costs, such as cleaning: 63%

Guarantee of continuation of early entitlement funding for children not attending: 67%

Transitional funding to cover loss of income from reduced occupancy (including non-funded children): 58%

Full access to furlough funding alongside early entitlement funding: 41%

Support accessing hygiene supplies, such as handwash: 56%

Support accessing PPE: 51%

None – current support is sufficient: 2%

Other (please specify): 3%

         

ABOUT THE ALLIANCE