Nursery World - One in four childcare providers fear permanent closure amid virus lockdown

A quarter of early years settings are unlikely to be operating in 12 months’ time, as as the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic hits, a survey suggests.

The change in how much support nurseries can access through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is likely to lead to redundancies and closures. the survey found

The findings are based on an online survey of more than 3,000 nurseries, pre-schools and childminders by the Early Years Alliance published today (5 May).

The Alliance said that historic underfunding and a lack of adequate government support during the coronavirus crisis were taking their toll and settings are worried that they will have to close permanently.

The findings show that:

The Alliance said that a key area of concern for childcare providers was the recent Government U-turn limiting furlough funding that childcare providers can access through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).

When asked what impact the new limitations on furlough funding would have, just under half (47 per cent) said they may need to make staff redundant. In addition:

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