Press coverage 2020

1 December

• Nursery World: Ofsted chief flags up concern about risks to vulnerable children in the pandemic
• daynurseries.co.uk:  Pandemic left vulnerable children under five 'out of sight' says Ofsted chief

27 November

• BBC News: Kate warns of lockdown loneliness for parents
• The Mirror: Kate Middleton asks for more support for young families in 'milestone moment' speech
• The Guardian: Kate warns of impact on children of parents' lockdown loneliness
• Daily Mail: Duchess to deliver landmark speech calling for more government protection for under-fives because 'education doesn't begin at the school gates'

26 November

• daynurseries.co.uk: Nurseries now 'central' to children’s lives with this generation spending most of early years in childcare

25 November

• Nursery World: Spending Review: Early years sector to receive a rise of £44m in 2021-22

12 November

• daynurseries.co.uk: Ofsted inspections for early years settings to move to six-year cycle

10 November

• Nursery Management Today: Ofsted Covid-19 series: briefing on early years October 2020

3 November

• The Guardian: One in six childcare providers in England may close by Christmas
• The Observer: If childcare providers go under, what hope is there for working mothers?
• ITV.com: One in six nurseries and childminders ‘could close by Christmas’ due to Covid
• Channel 5 News: One in six childcare providers in England may close by Christmas

28 October

• CYP Now: Covid-19 widening disadvantage gap among babies and toddlers, research warns

26 October

• The Mirror: Important new childcare rules for parents on furlough or job support schemes

23 October

• The Finanical Times: UK childcare provision hit by coronavirus cutbacks

16 October

• daynurseries.co.uk: #ThisIsEarlyYears campaign aims to highlight value of childcare sector

15 October

• daynurseries.co.uk:  Government urged to give nurseries testing kits after coronavirus cases double in two weeks

14 October

• Nursery World: Ofsted data shows early years settings with Covid cases doubling every week

13 October

• Nursery World: Coronavirus: PVI recovery fund a ‘lifeline’ for early years settings

10 October:

• The Telegraph: Women shoulder burden of Covid’s childcare crisis

8 October:

• Nursery Management Today: Early Years Alliance launches new early years provider survey ahead of Spending Review

1 October

• Nursery World: Coronavirus: Early Years Alliance survey into impact of pandemic

30 September

• Nursery World: Coronavirus: Councils ignoring DfE guidance on funding nurseries and childminders at pre-Covid levels
• Yahoo News: Some English councils not passing on government funding to cash-strapped nurseries
• CYP Now: One in six councils underfunding early years providers, EYA investigation shows
• daynurseries.co.uk: One in six councils in England refusing to fund nurseries on pre-pandemic numbers of children

29 September

• ITV News Anglia West: Campaigners claim nurseries in Northants, Bedford and MK hit by funding shortfall

28 September

• CYP Now: Use unspent billions to support 'desperate' childcare providers, says alliance
• daynurseries.co.uk: Early years leaders and Labour question government over £1.7billion underspend on tax-free child care

27 September:

• The Mirror: Labour blasts £1.7billion underspend on tax-free childcare as families struggle

26 September:

• Yahoo Finance: Coronavirus: One in three parents says childcare has held back their careers

25 September:

• Nursery World: Councils warn that a quarter of childcare providers could close in rural areas
• CYP Now: Quarter of childcare providers at risk of closure due to pandemic, councils warn

24 September:

• Nursery World: Outcry from the early years sector as minister confirms testing kits for maintained nurseries only
• CYP Now: Rishi Sunak urged to ‘put children at the heart’ of spending review
• daynurseries.co.uk: Governnment shows 'appalling inconsistency' supplying COVID-19 testing kits to maintained nursery schools but not nurseries
• Nursery Management Today: Early years organisations respond to the Chancellor’s announcement

22 September: 

• New Stateman: Why Britain's childcare system is on the brink of collapse
• The Telegraph: New mothers 'first in the firing line' as job cuts mount up

20 September:

• The Independent: Pregnant women and mothers with young children hit hardest by coronavirus upheaval

16 September:

• CYP Now: Coronavirus tests: Nurseries hit by staff shortage as workers struggle to access testing
• daynurseries.co.uk: Coronavirus test shortages force nursery workers to stay home
• Early Years Educator: Coronavirus: Testing shortage hits childcare sector as nursery staff and childminders struggling to access tests are left unable to work

10 September:

• Early Years Educator: Early years coalition plans alternative guidance to revised Development Matters

9 September:

• Nursery Management Today: The impact of Covid-19 on maternity and parental leave: Government falls short

8 September:

• Early Years Educator: New Development Matters meets negative response from many in the sector

4 September

• Daily Mail: Many childcare providers face big financial problems, study suggests

3 September:

• Yahoo News: Many childcare providers face big financial problems, study suggests
• TES: New early years guidance has 'serious flaws'

26 August: 

• Politics Home: Government urged to end 'mum-shaming' amid warning women face 'tsunami of unemployment' without more help
• BBC News: Primary pupils' learning gap widens for first time since 2007
• The Independent: 'The guilt, the pressure and the relentlessness': Struggles to access childcare wreaking havoc on parent's mental health and work life
• The Telegraph: ‘I asked to extend my furlough as I couldn’t get childcare then was made redundant’
• CYP Now: Half of parents not supported to access childcare amid pandemic, survey shows
• Nursery Management Today: Half of parents say government hasn’t given enough support on childcare post-lockdown
• Wired Gov: LGA responds to Early Years Alliance report
• Nursery World: Attainment gap 'stagnant' for early years, says new research

25 August: 

• Nursery World: ‘Generations of talent being lost through lack of investment in early years workforce’
• Early Years Educator: Opinion: Where is the money?

24 August: 

• Nursery World: Maintained nursery schools to benefit from £23m in funding

21 August: 

• Nursery World: Alliance files FOI request amid concerns over childcare funding inconsistencies 
• Day Nurseries: Nurseries preparing for less than 60 per cent intake of children next term

11 August: 

• Nursery Management Today: Online training soars during pandemic 

29 July: 

• Politics Home: Labour says parents facing a ‘perfect storm’ over childcare in wake of coronavirus pandemic
• The Evening Standard: Working parents are facing ‘perfect storm’ over childcare, Boris Johnson told

28 July: 

• Children and Young People Now: EARLY YEARS SECTOR FACES NO ACTION BY CONSUMER WATCHDOG
• The Guardian: UK working mothers are 'sacrificial lambs' in coronavirus childcare crisis

21 July: 

• Early Years Educator: Childcare funding from September set at pre-pandemic attendance to limit closures

20 July:

• The Times: Nurseries can no longer afford 30 hours’ free childcare for working parents
• BBC News: Back-to-office parents need childcare, says Starmer

19 July: 

• The Guardian: Keir Starmer accuses PM of placing parents in 'impossible position'

17 July:

• The Times: Call to provide 30 hours’ free childcare from age of two
• The Guardian: Ministers urged to overhaul early years services in England

8 July:

• Nursery World: Government 'without a plan' for the childcare sector and struggling families
• Early Years Educator:  Job creation scheme is undermined by Government’s failure to commit additional funding for childcare

3 July: 

• The Guardian: If Boris Johnson is really interested in ‘levelling up', he should start with nurseries

2 July:

• The Evening Standard: Third of nurseries in most deprived areas face permanent closure, report warns
• Day Nurseries: Coronavirus: Third of nurseries in deprived areas may shut permanently because of lockdown
• Early Years Educator: Rule on childcare ‘bubbles’ to be relaxed
• TES: EYFS: No bubbles rule vital, but huge concerns remain

26 June:

• Day Nurseries: Campaigners 'welcome' delay of Reception Baseline Assessments for four-year-olds

25 June:

• The Mirror: Parents facing childcare 'chaos' with cash strapped providers going bust
• Nursery World: Coronavirus: Nurseries and childminders face huge financial losses, analysis finds
• Day Nurseries: Early years leaders warn of 'mass nursery closures' saying parents face 'chaos'

24 June:

• Early Years Educator: Childcare sector at risk of mass closures as occupancy levels plummet

23 June:

• Early Years Educator: Restrictions removed on wraparound and holiday childcare provision

19 June:

• BBC News: Coronavirus: £1bn catch-up tutoring fund for England's pupils

10 June:

• Early Years Educator: Opinion: Left to go it alone

9 June:

• Nursery World: Just 10 per cent of early years children have returned to settings

5 June:

• Early Years Educator: TUC urges Government cash boost for childcare

4 June:

• The Financial Times: UK childcare sector on ‘brink of collapse
• The Independent: Women will be driven out of the workplace ‘if government does not urgently bail out childcare providers’

1 June:

• The Guardian: The Guardian view on nurseries: a case of neglect
• The Sun: Less than half of parents will send their children to nursery today, study says
• BBC News:  Primary schools back but mixed picture on turn-out
• The Metro: ‘Almost half’ of eligible children will not be in class as schools reopen today

31 May:

• Vogue UK: What Will Going “Back To School” Even Look Like For Early Years?

29 May: 

• The Indepedent: Covid-19 crisis could set women back decades, experts fear

19 May:

• Nursery World: Government slammed for failing to treat early years providers equally with schools

13 May:

• BBC News: Coronavirus: Some childminders in England can reopen

11 May: 

• The Telegraph: Nursery sector calls for urgent financial support as it is told to reopen its doors next month

6 May:

• Early Years Educator: Coronavirus: Restrictions on providers’ access to Job Protection Scheme must be lifted
• Nursery World: Coronavirus: Alliance letter highlights gaps in financial support for childcare sector

5 May:

• The Daily Mail: One in four childcare providers fear permanent closure
• TES: 'Early years closures would be a disaster for society'

4 May:

• BBC online: Coronavirus: ‘The nursery I run may not survive’
• ITV News: Quarter of nurseries worried they will close within a year, survey seen by ITV News shows
• The Telegraph: Parents risk losing thousands in already-paid fees, as one in four nurseries face collapse
• TES: Dear madam: letters to the editor 4/5/20

30 April:

• The Telegraph: Nursery crisis looms as one in six childcare providers say they will permanently close after lockdown
• Children and Young People Now:  Childcare leaders criticise inclusion of nurseries in consumer watchdog probe
• Nursery World: Free wellbeing-themed online CPD launched
• Early Years Educator: Tap into well-being with a free training programme from the Alliance
• Early Years Educator: Childcare sector to come under scrutiny by the Competition and Markets Authority

29 April:

• Nursery World: Coronavirus: Early years organisations join forces to petition government
• Early Years Educator: 'Help the sector to play its part in recovering from Covid–19'
• daynurseries.co.uk: Councils told to use unspent childcare budgets on nurseries still open

28 April:

• Your Money: Parents suffering coronavirus wage cuts may not qualify for 30 hours free childcare

24 April:

• The Guardian: UK childcare industry 'crushed' by coronavirus crisis
• Business Live: Fears new Covid-19 rules will mean 'widespread job losses' for nursery workers
• Nursery World: Childcare providers facing postcode lottery of support
• Early Years Educator: Childcare professionals with coronavirus symptoms prioritised for testing

22 April:

• ITV Anglia: Nurseries call for more financial support to care for key workers’ children
• The Sun: CARE GAP Parents fear nurseries will never re-open as thousands of staff can’t be furloughed during lockdown closures
• Early Years Educator: Coronavirus: Government moves goalposts again on childcare funding
• Children and Young People Now: Councils 'can now switch early years funding between settings'

20 April:

• Nursery World: Thousands sign petition against Government cut to furlough funding for nurseries
• Children and Young People: Early years sector 'in jeopardy' after government U-turn on furlough funding
• Early Years Educator: ‘Kick in teeth’ for providers as government backtracks on financial furlough support
• Early Years Educator: Providers and parents hit back as Government reneges on furlough support

19 April:

• The Guardian: Nearly seven million jobs at risk if lockdown lasts for months

16 April:

• Early Years Educator: New data portal launched to track the impact of coronavirus – in real time

14 April:

• Early Years Educator: Wiltshire council decides to cut rate of ‘free entitlement’ funding to closed local providers

7 April:

• Nursery World: Coronavirus - Staying open

2 April:

• Nursery World: Updated furlough guidance gives flexibility for nurseries to rotate staff
• Early Years Educator: Coronavirus: Updated guidance from HMRC states childcare staff can be placed on furlough more than once
• daynurseries.co.uk: HMRC clarifies that childcare staff can be placed on furlough more than once

31 March:

• The Guardian: Nursery closures leaving key workers without childcare

29 March:

• The Observer: High street's survival under threat as lockdown hits stores
• The Sunday Telegraph: Key workers forced into time off for childcare as nurseries shut

28 March:

• The Telegraph: Key workers forced to take unpaid leave as nurseries close

26 March:

• The Telegraph: Should I still be paying nursery fees now they've been ordered to shut?
• The Telegraph: Unemployment could soar after Chancellor delays coronavirus help for self-employed until June
• Early Years Educator: Coronavirus: Government support for self-employed throws lifeline to childminders
• daynurseries.co.uk: Cash-strapped nurseries reveal why they are charging parents during closures

20 March:

• The Guardian: Nurseries will close without more support during coronavirus
• Education Business: More support needed or nurseries will close
• daynurseries.co.uk: Coronavirus: Early years leaders welcome list of key workers but concerns over financial stability remain

19 March:

• The Telegraph: Nurseries say they will defy orders and stay open until forced to close, amid fears shutdown will put them out of business

18 March:

• daynurseries.co.uk: Nurseries and schools in England to close to all but vulnerable children and children of key workers
• daynurseries.co.uk: Coronavirus: Early years leader asks supermarkets to let nursery providers have 'access during first hour trading'

16 March:

• Nursery World: Settings seeking coronavirus advice
• daynurseries.co.uk:  New report states only 63 per cent of children from deprived areas are guaranteed nursery place

13 March:

• Nursery World: Coronavirus: Call for early years inspections to be put on hold

11 March:

• daynurseries.co.uk: Budget: Anger as Government 'favours pubs and hotels' over nurseries

10 March:

• Children and Young People Now: Coronavirus: Fears over long-term financial impact on nurseries
• daynurseries.co.uk: Coronavirus: Nursery chiefs ask government for emergency funding

6 March:

• The Independent: Coronavirus: Parents pull children out of nurseries prompting fears epidemic could hit industry
• Nursery World: Workforce survey: Early years sector under increasing strain
• FENews.co.uk: New Ceeda research showing nursery recruitment crisis

3 March:

• The Independent: Coronavirus: Boris Johnson’s plan would make classrooms unsafe for children, teachers say
• Nursery World: Early years workforce commission set up to tackle recruitment crisis
• FENews.co.uk: Commission Launched on Future of the Early Years Workforce
• daynurseries.co.uk: New early years commission to find answers to nursery workforce challenges

2 March:

• Nursery World: Exclusive: Sector survey finds mixed views on 'free' childcare entitlements

1 March:

• Children and Young People Now: Reforms 'risk tick-box assessment approach'

26 February:

• Nursery World: Childcare costs rise above inflation
• daynurseries.co.uk: Nursery childcare costs rise five per cent while government funding fails to keep up

25 February:

• The Times: Parents face soaring nursery fees to cover costs of free childcare policy

19 February:

• Nursery World: Government urged to 're-think' its Tax-Free Childcare scheme as take-up remains low

17 February

• Nursery World: Coronavirus: what are settings doing about it?

14 February

• Children & Young People Now: Vicky Ford appointed children and families minister
• daynurseries.co.uk: Vicky Ford MP appointed new minister for children and families

10 February

• Childcare & Young People Now: Ofsted launches new childcare registration system 'to boost workforce' 

3 February

• Children & Young People Now: EYFS reforms risk "tick box assessment approach"
• TES: Early years needs funding, not reform, survey finds

1 February

• Daily Mail: Children born in the summer are more likely to struggle with skills, figures show

31 January

• Nursery World: New government fgures reveal true scale of children's centre closures

30 January

• The Guardian: Sustainability must start in the nursery

29 January

• Children & Young People Now: Children's Centre Numbers Fall by a Third in 10 Years

28 January

• Nursery World: Practitioners' views sought on SEND funding

27 January

• DayNurseries.co.uk: Early Years Alliance launches survey to identify how underfunding affects nursery SEND children
• Nursery World: Ceeda debate: 'Until the sector collapses you won't get investment'

20 January

• Nursery World: Providers left in the dark over funding rates

17 January

• Nursery World: Government policies have failed to improve early years workforce qualification level
• Day Nurseries: Nurseries react to lost decade of support due to government failures

16 January

• Day Nurseries: Labour announces Tulip Siddiq is Labour's shadow early years minister
• Nursery World: Tulip Siddiq appointed shadow early years minister
• Radio 4, You and Yours: Struggling Nurseries, Locked Phones and Veganuary

15 January

• BBC News, Politics Live: Nurseries face closure over free childcare funding gap

7 January

• Day Nurseries: Sajid Javid's Budget must not 'ignore' childcare problem warn nurseries

See press coverage from previous years