The early years sector has been an essential lifeline for families and children throughout the pandemic. The full or partial closure of nurseries and other settings caused extensive disruption to parents who depend on care and education for pre-school children.
Between November 2020 and February 2021, we interviewed 107 early years professionals. They spoke emotively about the skill, value and pride they took in their work, even more so through the pandemic, when services to support children and families were lacking or entirely absent.
Those working in the sector combine a vital and unique mix of care and educational skills. This is critical for child development and levelling life chances. This work is also foundational to the economy. Working parents struggled with the multiple demands of paid work, home-schooling, care and developmental needs of younger children. Employers also have been forced to acknowledge the essential support provided by childcare providers and teachers.
During the third lockdown, early years settings remained open to all. Workers in our study questioned why governmental support was not forthcoming to protect their health and livelihoods.
Despite representing an essential pillar of society and the economy, care work is historically undervalued and lacks visibility. It is hard to reconcile the low pay, lack of pay progression and absence of full sick pay with this work. And it is, of course, no coincidence that the workforce is 97 per cent female. This is an issue intimately connected to the value of women's work and gender equality. Morale is also low.
Investment in early years must be a centrepiece of post-Covid recovery. Recognition of the skills and knowledge of professionals in the sector, and pay which reflects this, would go a long way to boosting morale and stemming turnover. The Government must address decades of chronic underfunding and foster a better understanding of the progressive role the sector plays for children and parents' wellbeing. As we rebuild the economy and support parents post-Covid, early years will have a vital role to play in helping pre-school children adapt.
Our research will continue to gather evidence about what can be done to better support the sector and families to achieve a more sustainable post-Covid future.
Jennifer Tomlinson co-leads the UKRI/ESRC-funded project Childcare during Covid, which investigates disruptions to early years as a result of Covid-19.
