The four largest early years organisations are asking the government for an urgent meeting to discuss how the sector can get the support it needs to play a vital role in the UK's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
In a letter sent today (29 April) to Children and Families Minister Vicky Ford, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and their departments, the leaders of the National Day Nurseries Association, the Early Years Alliance, PACEY and Early Education call on the Government not to put the childcare and early years sector at further risk through a lack of support.
Pointing out that substantial numbers of early years settings might not reopen after the pandemic, leading to a reduction in childcare places just when the economy needs working parents, the organisations argue that the Government should set out now how it will mitigate this risk.
The letter says that the early years sector needs the Government to:
- Ensure continuity funding of early education entitlement from local authorities
- Establish a Transformation Fund
- Extend continued Covd-19 support and address current gaps that leave many registered providers with little or no support
- Change current regulations and requirements
- Provide support and CPD so that practitioners can adapt current best practice.
