Nursery World - Coronavirus: Concern early years sector won't be able to cope with demand for places after lockdown

With new findings revealing settings have been heavily reliant on the furlough scheme, there are fears nurseries would struggle with a sudden rise in demand for places.

The survey found that the least qualified early years staff were more likely to be furloughed between November and February

According to the latest survey of private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) and the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), carried out last month, as many as four in 10 early years staff were furloughed this winter, as the demand for childcare places over lockdown dramatically dropped.

It found 38 per cent of staff were placed on full or part-time furlough between November 2020 and February - almost four times as many employees than had been anticipated.

In a previous survey by the EPI and NDNA, the sector expected just 10 per cent of staff to be on the scheme over this period.

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