Editor's View - Bad Timing

Nursery World’s story about the Government’s decision to backtrack on commitments made that nurseries could both receive free entitlement funding and claim for furloughing staff without restrictions during the pandemic broke on the evening of 17 April.

It is certainly the most-read story we have ever run – so far, the online report has been read nearly a quarter of a million times. That is a measure of how seismic this move was.

The Government’s reasoning that nurseries should not be double-funded by claiming staff costs in the furlough scheme that are also being paid for by public funding is not in itself outlandish.

However, there are three main reasons why this switch is unacceptable.

First, the historic and longstanding underfunding of the free hours, that continues to escalate, will lead to even more of a threat to sustainability.

Second, the free entitlement funding is not just for staff salaries, it is for the total provision of a child’s place.

Third, and most tellingly, the change of conditions was revealed on Friday evening with the Job Retention Scheme portal opening on the Monday morning. For weeks, providers had been told that they could receive free entitlement funding and access the furlough scheme in full. Owners and directors had planned on that basis, furloughed staff and told them they would be paid, and informed parents that it all meant they wouldn’t be expected to continue paying full fees. The timing was devastating.

The Government is sticking to its line that this was not a U-turn, merely a ‘clarification’, but nurseries had been told for weeks to go ahead with both, on repeated official advice.

Now, the leading early years organisations have joined forces to press for support for the sector. We need childcare providers to be in the best of health to help the nation’s recovery from the crisis.

IN THIS ISSUE

Elizabeth Wood is Professor of Education at the University of Sheffield. Her research focuses on play and pedagogy, curriculum and assessment, and blending digital and traditional play. In this issue, she begins a two-part series on ‘knowledge’ in the early years curriculum (pages 14-17).

Imran Hussain is director of policy and campaigns at Action for Children. He has previously worried for Child Poverty Action Group and the Prison Reform Trust. In our Interview (page 13), he talks about families teetering on the brink in the coronavirus crisis and the work that the charity is doing to help them.

Vicky Ford, Conservative MP for Chippenham, was appointed Minister for Children and Families earlier this year, with responsibility for early years policy and childcare as well as children’s social care. She addresses the sector about their role in the pandemic and the support from government (page 12).