Nursery World - Maggie Bolger: 'Why a £500 sign-on bonus for childcare workers won't work'

The childcare sector is in crisis. The issues are complex. We need realistic solutions, and we need them soon, says nursery owner and entrepreneur Maggie Bolger

Maggie Bolger: 'There are a number of viable solutions that will have far greater impact than a quick fix, headline grabbing £500 sign-on bonus'

Everyone likes to talk about how important the early years are, surveys and think tanks provide proof that it is essential. Yet there are very few tangible solutions for fixing the growing crisis of increased costs and lack of staffing in the childcare industry.

Whilst I am not a politician or an economist – I am an entrepreneur and business owner with many years experience at the coalface of UK childcare. And so, I believe that there are a number of viable solutions that will have far greater impact than a quick fix, headline grabbing £500 sign on bonus. We are not going to get free childcare, like in Europe, so we need to accept this, however there are collaborative ways to look at supporting the industry that warrant a discussion.

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