London Mayor calls for Government to step in to support capital's 'struggling' nurseries

Research for City Hall revealed that 64 per cent of nurseries and 56 per cent of childminders consider their services to be at immediate risk of closure or to be facing potential closure in the next 12 months.

The problem is most dire in more deprived areas of the capital, where 70 per cent of nurseries class themselves as ‘struggling’, compared with 59 per cent in more affluent areas.

With the Coronavirus pandemic impacting on the already-fragile finances of many childcare settings, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is calling on ministers to address a funding shortfall that has driven many of London’s more than 10,000 early years providers close to closure.

The report, The business support needs of London’s early years sector and how they can be met, by Early Years Alliance and Ceeda, highlights that childcare providers are an essential service to support working parents and are needed to play an important role in supporting the capital’s economic recovery.

It is feared that there will not be enough childcare places available for working parents once lockdown measures are lifted, especially in deprived areas of the city.

Mr Khan thanked all those working in the early years sector for the ‘extraordinary dedication and resilience’ that they have shown during the past 12 months.

‘The early years of a child’s life are crucial to their future development and this childcare is absolutely essential to support working parents, but this research exposes the extent of the crisis the sector faces in our capital,’ he said.

‘We know that working mothers are being disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and are more likely to have lost their jobs – the result of structural inequality that has long existed. That is why I am calling on the Government to do everything in its power to support these key services, which are vital to London’s economic recovery, a lifeline for many of London’s working families, and a fundamental part of our duty of care to London’s children.

‘The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted huge inequalities in our society and it is unacceptable that years of Government underinvestment in the early years mean children and parents from the most deprived parts of our city are now at increased risk of being left behind.’

Neil Leitch, chief executive of Early Years Alliance, called for Government action now to protect the early years sector so that it can remain viable throughout the pandemic and for years to come.

‘It is deeply concerning to see that, despite the crucial role that nurseries, pre-schools and childminders in London have played supporting local children and families throughout the pandemic, an ongoing lack of adequate government support - combined with years of underfunding - means the majority will struggle to survive the next 12 months,’ he said.

‘What’s more, given that we know early education is crucial to ensuring that all children are given the best possible start in life, it is particularly worrying that providers in more disadvantaged areas are at a significantly higher risk of experiencing financial difficulties than those in more affluent areas.’

Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of National Day Nurseries Association, said, ‘The last year has been a particularly challenging time for early years providers, so the findings in the Mayor of London’s report although shocking are sadly not surprising. Our own recent research with private and voluntary nurseries across the country revealed that 58 per cent were worried about surviving as businesses until Easter.

‘We have been lobbying the Department for Education and the Treasury to provide urgent financial support for these early years providers who are suffering from low attendance and higher operating costs. The Chancellor must take the opportunity of the Budget to outline targeted support to save these nurseries and help them to recover so they can continue nurturing our youngest children and enabling parents to work.’