Nursery World - Coronavirus: Alliance letter highlights gaps in financial support for childcare sector

The Early Years Alliance has written to the Chancellor Rishi Sunak exposing flaws in coronavirus support schemes, which mean the sector is missing vital funding, and calling for 'urgent steps’ to safeguard 'tens of thousands' of nurseries and childminders.

Thousands of childcare providers are missing out on vital Government support, the Early Years Alliance said

Discrepancies in the way the Government has set up schemes designed to provide emergency funding for businesses during the coronavirus outbreak mean that many early years settings are not eligible for this financial help.

The letter, sent to Mr Sunak and the business secretary Alok Sharma, from Neil Leitch, the chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, urges the Government to take action to urgently address the gaps in support for the sector.

The move comes as more than 170,000 people have signed an online petition calling for the Government to row back on changes to furlough guidance that limits the amount that providers can claim back from the Government to pay early years workers on furlough. According to the Alliance, around 4,000 providers and 2,500 parents have also written to their local MP about the matter.

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