Funding appeal to save under-threat nurseries
A third of nurseries in the most deprived areas may be forced to close permanently due to coronavirus-related financial difficulties, a report warns.
Education charity The Sutton Trust is calling on the Government to urgently provide an £88million support package for the early years sector to ‘protect the early learning prospects of a generation of children’.
It comes after a survey found that 34% of early years settings in the most disadvantaged areas said they were unlikely to still be operating next year, compared to 24% in more affluent areas.
The poll, of 6,300 early years providers in England, suggests that 69% of those in deprived areas expect to operate at a loss over the next six months.
It says that 42% of early years providers anticipate making redundancies.
There are likely to be repercussions for children's early learning – and for their parents' ability to go out to work – if many early years settings are unable to stay afloat, the charity's analysis warns.
Sir Peter Lampl, founder and chairman of the Sutton Trust, said: "The coronavirus crisis is having a devastating impact on the early years sector, with many nurseries and preschools facing closure.
"This will inevitably have a long-lasting impact on children's early development.
“Parents will struggle to find a place for their child.
“This will affect their ability to go to work.
“Now is the time, when the world has been turned upside down, to prioritise support for children and families."