Major project on childcare during Covid wants early years managers' views

Researchers at the Universities of Leeds and Bristol have been awarded funding to carry out research into early years education and childcare provision in England and Wales. The study will examine where provision has been disrupted and why and generate empirical evidence on the key pressures on nurseries and nursery staff as a result of COVID-19.

The research aims to provide evidence to support early years settings and staff through COVID and to determine what disruption of care will mean for families and their return to work. The study is funded by the ESRC/UKRI through its rapid response COVID research funding stream

Nursery staff know they have been an important pillar of the national response to the coronavirus pandemic, even if this hasn't always been widely acknowledged, said the CDC19 team, with many facing financial difficulties before the pandemic.

Professor Jennifer Tomlinson, of the Centre for Employment Relations, Innovation and Change (CERIC) at Leeds University Business School, is leading the project. She said, 'We urgently need to understand how nurseries can best be supported to remain financially sustainable and safe for staff and families while the coronavirus pandemic is an ongoing public health risk. We also want to use this study to map how the landscape of nursery provision is likely to change after COVID-19 with the hope that we can inform policy and best practice solutions for a more resilient and sustainable future for the sector.'

Nursery World editor Liz Roberts is a member of the project's Digital Advisory Board.

• The study is currently surveying managers of day nurseries, nursery schools and playgroups across England and Wales about their experiences managing nurseries over the past year. The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete and can be accessed at https://start.yougov.com/refer/vNFVhR6bXjmjcT. The survey closes on Friday 19 March.