Nursery World - Alliance blames lack of Government funding for closing fifth of settings

The Pre-school Learning Alliance has closed 23 nurseries since January, as a direct result of the longstanding Government under-funding of 15- and 30-hour childcare entitlements, Nursery World can reveal.

Faced with what it says are the ongoing problems of chronic underfunding in the sector, cuts in some areas, and rising costs, the largest voluntary provider in the country and the third largest nursery group in the UK, has had to close more than a fifth of its settings.

Writing exclusively for Nursery World today (18 September), Neil Leitch, the chief executive of the Alliance, says, ‘Over the past year, we have had to make the incredibly difficult decision to close down nearly two dozen of our settings across the country.

'Stagnant funding levels are forcing settings to close their doors for good. And we at the Alliance know this first hand - because it has happened to us.

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