Nursery World - Coronavirus: Councils ignoring DfE guidance on funding nurseries and childminders at pre-Covid levels

One in six local authorities in England are failing to follow Government guidance on early years funding intended to protect providers from the financial impact of coronavirus, an investigation by the Early Years Alliance has revealed.

Thousands of early years providers across the country have lower numbers of children attending than they would usually this term, as a result of the pandemic

The Government confirmed in July that local authorities would receive early years funding for the autumn term on the basis of how many children were attending settings in their areas before the coronavirus pandemic hit.

The move is designed to ensure that providers are safeguarded from the current low demand for childcare places due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Despite reopening more widely, early years providers are operating with around half of their usual intake. The latest official figures from the DfE on attendance show that an estimated 674,000 children attended early years settings on 24 September. This represents approximately 52 per cent of children who usually attend childcare in term time.

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