Childminders and nannies resorted to selling personal belongings and borrowing money from family and friends to boost their income during the height of the pandemic.
New research into early years care and education during Covid-19 by Leeds University reveals the financial impact of the pandemic on providers and the lengths they took to increase their household income due to salary losses.
Measures included selling personal possessions such as cars, borrowing money and applying for universal credit for childminders and nannies, while nurseries drew on reserves, changed staff contract conditions and took on debt.
Dr Katy Hardy, lead author with Professor Jennifer Tomlinson, told Nursery World, ‘It is well known that many of the issues identified preceded the pandemic, but Covid-19 has served to accelerate really serious problems relating to sustainability, morale and access.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
