Nursery on move as baby boom predicted
A NURSERY in Burton has moved to new larger premises ahead of what it predicts will be a baby boom after to lockdown.
Jellybeans Nursery and Preschool has moved into the former Albion Bathroom showroom in Millers Lane behind the Lidl supermarket in the town.
Director Kelly Lloyd-jones said the move was a necessity and that the children were really enjoying the new location.
The 42-year-old said: “We decided that we needed to move out of our old site on Moor Street because we needed a bigger site that suited our needs more.
“We wanted to create a calming atmosphere, and we wanted our kids to learn just as well, we’ve fully redecorated the inside with a new baby room and state-of-the-art kitchen.
“Our new location has definitely given us the freedom to do this and we are happy where we are. We have space for about 50 children, which is an increase of about 20 since our last site.”
Ms Lloyd-jones started childminding 14 years ago and says last year had been a struggle due to the pandemic. It closed at the start of the crisis before being allowed to open to look after the children of key workers. With the help of the team, they have been able to get through it.
She said: “When I started childminding we had a site in St Paul’s Square and then we moved to the site in Moor Street which is where we were for eight years.
“It has been very hard with the pandemic. The most difficult aspect of it is trying to plan everything. We could open up to children of key workers back in May, but trying to plan week by week has been difficult. The furlough scheme was a massive help.
“The most difficult aspect was not being able to organise our schedule and we had to constantly assure parents of Covid safety. We were lucky that we didn’t have a single child covid infection this year.
“We are up to all the proper safety standards and we are doing as much as we can as life has to come back. People are now going back to work, and it is hard.
“The Government is still funding childcare so I recommend people check to see what they are eligible for.”
She has now said that the early reactions to the new site have been positive and that she is looking forward to welcoming a new group of children to the site.
“We love our new site and parents have been saying that they love it too. They’ve been blown away by what they have seen. They’re asking if they can stay and play now!
“We also had fantastic support from Staffordshire County Council, who supported us over the last year too with updates and funding as well as the lateral flow testing they implemented, which we have been using regularly.
“I am quite optimistic, and our team of 12 have all been fantastic. I am hopeful but you have to be, we are expecting a rise in birth rates after lockdown.
“The children of Burton need care and education, and we’re happy to be in our new site and welcoming people.”