Nursery World - Coronavirus: MPs call for emergency funding for childcare sector

MPs have called on the Government to conduct an urgent review into childcare funding, and commit to emergency funding for the sector, in a report which highlights 'the serious and unprecedented impact' of coronavirus on new parents and children.

Coronavirus has had 'an unprecedented impact' on new parents, the cross-party Petitions Committee report says

Baby classes have been cancelled, support has been harder to access, and parents’ jobs are at risk because they have not been able to find childcare, the report from the House of Commons Petitions Committee said.

The cross-party committee considers e-petitions submitted on Parliament’s petitions website and public (paper) petitions presented to the House of Commons.

MPs held an inquiry in response to the e-petition started by Jessie Zammit and her husband James Zammit-Garcia signed by more than 226,000 people that calls for the Government to extend maternity leave by three months with pay in light of Covid-19.

The inquiry also uncovered 'many more issues on which we hope the Government will urgently consider further action, with or without an extension to paid parental leave', the report, The impact of Covid-19 on maternity and parental leave, published today (6 July), said.

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