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Childcare providers facing postcode lottery of support in pandemic

Childcare providers are facing a postcode lottery of approaches to early years funding during the coronavirus lockdown, with some councils not paying for children in new settings while others are paying cash incentives for providers to stay open.
Wolds childcare. Director Karen Richards, says she is not taking a salary to make ends' meet
Wolds childcare. Director Karen Richards, says she is not taking a salary to make ends' meet

Local authorities Nottinghamshire and Oxfordshire are among those not routinely paying free entitlement funding to settings taking on children from other settings, while other councils, such as North East Lincolnshire, are double funding.

Providers have revealed that they are staying open despite facing losses of thousands of pounds - even with Government incentives designed to encourage them to stay open.

Wiltshire County Council is paying £100 per week per child to incentivise settings to stay open – but taking the money from settings which have closed, resulting in a 60 per cent cut for closed providers in June. Despite earlier statements to the contrary, the ability to redistribute funding has been backed by government after it said on Tuesday that councils could transfer money between settings to create more places. 

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