Press coverage 2020
11 December
- daynurseries.co.uk: Coronavirus 'exacerbated' the instability of nurseries and left 'a considerable hole' in finances
9 December
- YourMoney.com: Parents in England ‘fall through gaps’ of £500 self-isolation pay scheme
- daynurseries.co.uk: Bigger fall in nursery attendance prompts call for 'pre-pandemic' funding until spring
8 December
4 December
-
daynurseries.co.uk: No full Ofsted inspections for nurseries until summer 2021
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
30 November
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
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
26 October
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
13 October
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
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:
26 September:
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:
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
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:
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:
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:
10 June:
-
Early Years Educator: Opinion: Left to go it alone
9 June:
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:
29 May:
-
The Indepedent: Covid-19 crisis could set women back decades, experts fear
19 May:
13 May:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
19 February:
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
31 January
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