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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."

Editor notes 

• 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