Private nurseries

The document in it’s current form is not explicit about private nurseries who also have children in transition in the same group/rooms as 3-4 year olds . It needs to be explicit on what they can and cannot do.

Why the contribution is important

Impact of childcare for working parents not using council nurseries .

by Pjs2020 on May 05, 2020 at 04:34PM

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Average rating: 4.4
Based on: 7 votes

Comments

  • Posted by bethwrodgers May 05, 2020 at 17:07

    I think it’s imperative that we don’t bundle private nurseries into decisions made about schools if there is no significant safety issues, given that there is a real financial risk for them being closed too long. For example, to say ‘let’s keep schools closed until Aug as it’s the school holidays anyway’, doesn’t fit with private nurseries who are predominantly open 50-52 weeks a year. I think consideration for the area they are in (I am based in highland with lots of outdoor space), capacity (I only take 20 children), measures that can be put in place (e.g parents dropping off with no access to the building, online communications, PPE, temp checks, lots of outdoor play etc.) need to be looked at. Not a one glove fits all method. Also, many parents will rely on this childcare to get back to work and some kind of normality. We have to protect childcare settings and ensure they are safe and sustainable. Closure to Aug without reviews in grants, furloughed support etc would be catastrophic. Funding may also be significantly cut if we are told we can’t offer our projected and planned for 1140 hours. I am still waiting for clarity from my L.A on this.

  • Posted by anondoc May 05, 2020 at 19:39

    I agree with Beth. Private nurseries should not be considered the same as schools. Many will close if this situation continues, and I myself am a doctor who relies on the longer hours they offer to look after my child. My husband is trying to juggle work and childcare on the days I am in work which is not sustainable long term. We know that less than 10% of the population have had exposure and we also know that 60-80% is required for herd immunity. A vaccine is 12-18 months away. It is impossible to socially distance pre school children and we do not know how much of a vector they are for this infection, although they themselves are not significantly affected. The NHS has done a great job in it’s management of this situation but normal day to day NHS work has to resume and to allow that to happen, we have to make provision for the children of staff. At the moment, both parents have to be key workers but for some families that makes this situation untenable long term. As a doctor, I am, of course, fully aware of the implications of coronavirus but I would send my child back to private nursery with extra measures.
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